Time is changing
by XO Loki's Angel OX
Summary: After a mission, Lucy starts thinking about her future, maybe even settling down. But, the real question is, who is it gonna be? idk about the pairs yet :P
1. The mission

**"Time is Changing"**

**By: Well, me! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own this amazazing manga/anime!!**

**Rating: hmmmm...I'll say "M"**

**Summary: After a mission, Lucy starts thinking about her future, maybe even settling down. But, the real question is, who is it gonna be?**

*~*

"Come on Natsu! We need to head to the next town! And fast!" complained the blond.

"Ugh..." was the pink hair's only reply. Natsu, as most of Fairy Tail knows, has a hate towards transportation, but it never stopped him, only if his friends were there to push him of the trains. The pink hair landed with a thump on the cold tiled floor of the train station. He took a deep breath and was quickly on his feet again. "Why do we have to keep taking these things?!" he complained.

"Well, we would have been here sooner if you weren't so unwilling to get on the earliest train!" replied the blonde, pointing an accusing finger at him. He gave her an, 'whatever' look and turned towards the door.

"Come on Happy! Let's go!" Natsu called out behind him.

"Aye!" called out the blue furred cat. The blond shook her head.

"I swear, he can be such a spazz. Oh well...Hey! NATSU!"

_______________________________________________________________

The blond, running as if her life depended on it (and it literally did), finally caught up to the spazz duo. "What the hell?! What do you guys think you're doing?" she commented as she watched the two pose as if they were searching for something.

"We're looking for the client's house Lucy. What else?" replied Natsu.

"Aye!" agreed Happy. She sighed.

"Do you realize the client's house was _in_ the village? The _job_ takes place out here! God! You never pay attention, do you?" She looked up into the sky. They had reached the train station about a quarter past noon, and now it had to be at least three hours later. "It took forever to find you guys! Do you even know your way back?" she asked curiously. They slowly turned their heads towards her, scratching their cheeks with dumb founded expressions.

"Uh...not really..." said Happy, sitting on top of Natsu's head. Lucy gave another loud sigh.

"You guys are hopeless. Now, we won't be able to do the job today. Oh well, if we make it back in time, I think we will be able to at least talk to the client." She took out the job wanted paper. The job was to take out a couple of bandits that had a hide out in the area. People had said that the bandits would occasionally rob a store, then take the goods to a hideout, but no one has been able to find it.

Natsu decided that this location was no use anymore, so he decided to head in the opposite direction. "What you doing now?" called out Lucy.

"We're looking for the client!" Natsu shouted out from behind. He gave her a cheesy smile...but then ran into a tree. Lucy's head hung low.

"This is going to be a long day..."

Natsu's over energetic self didn't last that long. Lucy finally found him lying on a river bend. Happy was just sitting there, watching his befuddled friend.

"Um...Happy, what happened?" Happy turned his head to Lucy, but then quickly returned his gaze to Natsu.

"He ate this weird looking fruit, and now he just keeps lying there..." Lucy's jaw dropped.

"Natsu? Eating fruit? What's gotten into him?" asked Lucy concerned. She started shaking the poor pink head, but his blank expression stayed the same. She started to slap him when Happy took out a yellow looking fruit from his bag.

"This is the fruit he ate." He said, offering it to Lucy. She turned her attention to the fruit that resembled an apple, except it was more cylindrical, and it had a giant bite out of it. "He said he was thirsty, so he was going to drink out of the river, but than I found this thing and told him to try it!" Lucy swung her pathetic friend over her shoulder, his weight almost crushing her.

"Come on Happy, we better head back to the village for more info."

"Aye." agreed the blue cat.

______________________________________________________________

"So, this is what has been happening lately?" asked the very concerned Lucy. Her gaze drifted to Natsu, who was now sleeping, or snoring peacefully on the giant red couch of the client's home.

"Yes. Fortunately, we have the antidote for it. More and more people are starting to go out and search for the bandits themselves, but they come back looking like him. It's really starting to get on my nerves." Lucy looked at they young women with curiosity. The women quickly regained her posture and smiled weakly. "Well, the people that go out are the doctors, children, and older men. They think they can recover the things that were stolen, but they just keep fumbling back. I would go out there myself, but I'm the only person who knows the cure to this disease. Hell, I'm the only one in this village who knows about the weird fruit!"

The client was a young looking women, around her early twenties. She had silky brunette hair, wore a black skirt with a white tang top. She wore square glasses and black high heels.

A light bulb clicked above Lucy as an idea struck her. "So, you think that the bandits are also using the fruits?" Natsu suddenly rolled over so he was face forward on the floor, but it didn't bother his snoring one bit. She nodded.

"Indeed, or else I wouldn't have been able to find a cure. Apparently, if the victim is in this state long enough, the treatment is irreversible, and they would end up like lifeless beings." Lucy's face grew grave.

"R-r-really? Has this happened." Again the women nodded.

"Yes. The first ten people to come back were the ones that suffered the most. I haven't figured out what is wrong with them, but they haven't changed since they first returned...including my husband." she quietly added. Lucy's expression went from grave, to depressed.

"I'm sorry to hear about your husband, Sachi-sama." Sachi waved the thought along as if it were no big deal.

"It's ok. I know he isn't dead, so I still have hope. He shows signs of recovery everyday! So, I haven't been able to give up hope yet. But, right now, what I need you to do is to get rid of those bandits, before some else that I don't know about ends up like him." Lucy nodded, turning her gaze to the pink haired on the floor.

"So when is he going to wake up?"

"Well, it looks like he's been recovering a lot faster than the others. He will probably be out for another...two days at least." Lucy's eyes popped out of her head.

"Two days!? We can't wait that long!?" Sachi tilted her head in confusion.

"Um, why can't you just do it? From what I heard, there's only two of them, I'm pretty sure you could take them out. Along with your cat friend." Lucy sighed.

"I could, and we really don't have time for him to wake up in this situation." Lucy stood up and clutched her fists. "Ok! I'll do it!" and she punched the air.

___________________________________________________________

Lucy had left the town that evening around 5. She wouldn't have much time to search, but if she could go and find a trail of some sort, it would be helpful in the search tomorrow. She wiped her forehead and looked up at the sky. Evening was starting, but it wasn't in the orange and pink stages yet, but it was just starting.

"Natsu, you idiot...why did you have to go and eat that stupid fruit and leave me alone on this misson! I'm so going to get all of the reward if I'm the only one doing this!" Lucy called out to nothing, shaking her fists. She suddenly lowered her head and started dragging her feet. "I'm so pathetic...talking to myself...what has gotten into me?" she kept repeating. Little did she know there were two shadowy figures, eyeing her as she made a small trail through the dirt.

Lucy decided she would trace her steps from earlier this afternoon to try and find that fruit again. She would take it back to Sachi-sama and let her work on a better cure for her husband. She really felt sorry for the man. After all, who wouldn't want their most valuables stuff back? A sudden noise startled her from behind. With one swift movement, she had taken out her whip, and was now in a fighting stance. "Whose there?" she called out, taking steps back. As the bush moved again, she took another step back. "It isn't nice to ignore a lady!" she called out. Her pulse quickened when a sudden black dog appeared from the bush. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The animal charged at Lucy, fangs bearing, claws digging into the ground. She ran as fast as her legs could carry. She was afraid if she looked back, she would be caught, so she just focused on saving her skin. "Oh come on! What did I ever do to deserve this?!" she called out. She took a sharp turn, and almost crashed into a tree. She took a quick look behind her. The dog was gaining on her and fast. She grabbed the highest branch she could, and swung herself onto the branch. She climbed onto the next branch and glanced down. She had to be at least 9 ft off the ground, so she was safe for now. She sighed. How does she manages to get herself stuck, she would never know.

The dog was still at the base of the tree four hours later, when the sky was becoming an inky black. Stars started to appear, and still the dog shown no sign of retreat. "Will you just leave me the hell alone! Go home! Shoo! Vamos! See you later!?" she called out weakly to the dog. As if she said the magic word, the dog sat and barked happily at her. Her eyes became big and her jaw dropped. She slowly climbed down, just incase this dog was bipolar or something. As she touched the ground, the dog was jumping on her, trying to lick her face.

"Shoo! Down! Down!" suddenly, the dog sat again. Her eyes became big again. "Your name is Shoo?" as if a replied, the dog barked. She sighed.

_________________________________________________________________

As she reached her apartment, she realized something was off...she looked around, and she made a face, like something just hit her hard in the head. "Damn! I forgot Natsu! I hope he doesn't bother Sechi-sama...but, I should." she sighed as she tossed her whip and keys onto a nearby table. She stretched her arms as she walked to the bathroom.

"Lucy!" she heard a certain blue cat call.

"I'm in here Happy!" she called out. She was taking out her hair and now was brushing thoroughly through it. Happy flew into the bathroom, and settled down on the counter, watching her brushing her hair. There was a few minutes of silence before Lucy sat down her brush and looked down. "So how's Natsu?" she asked.

"He's gone." he happily replied.

Her jaw dropped. "What?! And you couldn't tell me this earlier?!" she ran out of the bathroom. Happy quickly hopped onto her shoulder as she grabbed her whip and keys.

"Well, you looked busy. Besides Natsu is fine." the blue cat replied cooly. She slammed the door behind her and started to sprint down the street, searching for Sechi-sama's home. When she finally came across it, she slammed the door open, to reveal a missing pink haired man. Come to think of it, Sechi-sama was gone too.

"How long have they been gone Happy?" she asked as she ran through out the house, searching for the missing members.

"Hmmm...about three hours ago."

"What?! Are you serious?!"

"Aye."

___________________________________________________________

Lucy went searching for Natsu, even though it was now completely dark. She would stumble across a tree root, and then curse very loudly, but then got up and got going again. "I can't see a thing!...oh, wait a sec!" she caught her balance, and searched for her keys. "Open the gate to the lion! Loki!" She twisted the key, and she felt a great presence in front of her, even though she couldn't see. "...Loki?" she asked quietly in the dark. She felt a warm hand snake around her waist, and she was suddenly drawn close to a warm body. And, although they couldn't see (and thank god), her face had flashed red in an instant.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" asked the hearted Steller spirit. She sighed. His body felt so warm against the cool night air...only...

"I-I-I'm fine! But, Natsu got kidnapped...but I need some light, and I thought you might be able to help..." With no hesitation, the spirit held out a hand, and like a bright flash light, the darkness disappeared.

"That's why I'm here for." he said smoothly. With his guidance, she was able to make it out of the harsh part of the terrain. They crossed the river, and continued their journey to a thicker part of the forest. Lucy sighed.

"This is taking too long! How are we suppose to find Natsu like this? We're gonna have to wait until morning if we want to see everything...." Loki just stared into the dark forest, his palm still held out in front.

"They are definitely in there. I can sense Natsu's magic in there." Lucy was surprised to hear Loki speak. After all, he hadn't said a word to her since he was summoned.

"So, what shall we do?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"We go in of course..." Loki said quickly as he swiftly picked up Lucy bridal style and started into the forest. Suddenly there was silence, with the exception of the loud cries of Lucy screaming, "LOKI! LET GO OF ME!"

*~*

________________________________________________________

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I appriciate you guys taking the time to read this! I hope that you guys could review! It would really help me out. I sorta know where this is going, but hey, this is a story, so anything can happen! Hopefully, I can just continue pastin chapters up, even if you don't really care, I'll do it anyway! lol**

**Loki's Angel, out!  
**


	2. The dragon

It was some time before Loki had stopped. After a few minutes of screaming and struggling, Lucy just crossed her arms, letting the lion take her where ever, or hopefully to the bandits' hideout. It was pitch black, beside's Loki's light. In this part of the wood, the trees were tall and thick, and you could hardly see any ink black sky. Lucy stuck close to Loki. Being separated here would be a very bad idea.

"Hey, Lucy, didn't have a dog with you earlier?" asked Happy. To be honest, she didn't even realize that Happy had followed them, and for the first time in a while, she realized Shoo wasn't following either. Lucy shrugged.

"Well, he was a sweet dog, but maybe he went back to his owner's home. After all, he did seem trained for a wild looking dog." Happy claimed his spot on Lucy's shoulder, watching Loki as he looked around the abandoned area.

"Well? Do you sense his magic?" asked Lucy. Loki gestured for her to shush, which she obliged to do so, as he focused. She could see the light covered face of Loki nodding his head. Again, he grabbed her and they were on their way.

They didn't end up to far from where they had stopped. The crouched behind a giant pine tree. The peeked around the round trunk and saw a small shabby looking building. It looked like part of the building had been burnt, but other than that, it just looked...old.

"Are you sure he's in there?" whispered Lucy.

"No. He's not in there...it's more of underground." Lucy looked at him with confusion, but before she could ask him, he had grabbed her hand and started dragging her and Happy towards the building. They stopped and pressed their backs to the wall. "I can only sense his magic in there, but still be careful." Lucy nodded as she grabbed her whip. Loki reached for the doorknob and gave it a twist. He gently pushed the door open, flashing Lucy a face she'd never seen Loki give...no. She'd seen that face once before, before he had became her spirit. It was one of depression, despite the fact that he had some how covered it with a smile. She had froze. She kept replaying the sad expression in on his face in her head, until Happy started stretching her face to catch her attention.

"Come on Lucy! We better hurry and follow Loki!" after a moment's hesitation, she nodded and followed him into the half burnt building.

_______________________________________________________________

Inside was all musty, but rather clean looking, like it had been used recently. There wasn't any dust on the three wooden chairs and table that resided in the only one-room building. Not a whole lot of dust was on the floor either, in fact, there was a wide trail, as if a body was drug through it. Loki had paused in the middle of the room, well more of to the side of the middle, but still; and was now glancing through the small window on the back wall. There were broken shards of glass on the floor, for the window was broken. Loki clenched his fists. Lucy didn't seem to notice what he was doing, but instead was looking at a pile of papers that were stacked on a chair on the opposite side of the table. It held all sorts of words and numbers, and all of them she couldn't comprehend. "Loki...do you know what this might be for?" she asked picking up the papers. Happy looked over her shoulder.

"Maybe it's for a fish pie recipe!" he happily suggested. Lucy sighed.

"Is that all you can think about at a time like this?"

"No. I think Loki will help you get Natsu back! I wonder if it's for a fish pot pie..." Ignoring Happy's last statement, Lucy walked over to Loki. She looked up at the spirit's face. It really scared her to see his face like this. She wouldn't have had to ask for his help, but she needed Natsu back as soon as possible. After all, he was her first nakama in Fairy Tail, and she wanted to let him know how important he was to her.

The next ten seconds of her life flashed before her eyes. Everything was so bright...so quick. And she was afraid if she had blinked, her life would end before she knew it.

First, there was a sudden flash of brown as she was suddenly pulled out of the building, the bright orange and red flames shown brightly, followed by a black figure, standing in the very center, the flames licking their body. She trembled as Loki pulled her into a tight protective embrace by the tree they had hid behind earlier. Although they were about 30 yards apart, she could feel the intensive heat pouring from the windows. A sudden loud crack filled the silent forest as the windows shattered, followed by the sudden crash of burnt wood. Loki placed his hand gingerly on top of Lucy's head as she tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

A sudden loud rawr filled the silence, overpowering the licking of the flames. Lucy turned her head towards the burnt building. The shadow figure took what seemed like a demon. "Natsu..." Lucy whispered. Loki continued to stare at the figure as he took a step out of the flames. His eyes seemed different, much more malice. His fists were in tight flaming fists, and a blank expression was plastered onto his face. No doubt the same expression from before, except for the eye thing.

"NATSU!" Lucy suddenly called out. The young boy didn't even move the slightest inch. She stood up, pushing Loki behind so he couldn't stop her. "Natsu! What's going on?! What the hell is going on here? What happened to the bandits? What happened?! Snap out of it!" She took a step forward, and at the same time, Natsu's hand risen, aiming for Lucy. Fear ran through every vein in her body as she watched the flames around his fist intensify. "Natsu! What's wrong?!" And without hesitation, a stream of red flames engulfed the trail in front of him, burning and leaving a black scar where his "nakama" had once stood.

"Good work Natsu. Your job is almost complete! Soon, no one, not even Titania, will be able to stop us! Hahahahaha!" called out the mysterious voice. Natsu's hand slowly died down and slumped at his side. The owner of the mysterious voice patted his new pet's shoulder, admiring his skill.

"Oh geez! I'm so excited! I could just _kill_ something!" chimed in a higher pitched voice. She clapped her hands together, as she hopped onto the new pet's shoulders. She was only about the age of six, having pink hair, (slightly darker than Natsu's) and wore navy blue capri's with the same colored t-shirt that had a pink bunny (same color as their hair) with it's tongue sticking out with X's for eyes. She whacked Natsu's head with a stick and then pointed. "Come on dragon! Let's go already!"

"Yes. Let's."


	3. A friend

"That was a close one...thanks Loki." Lucy said as she wiped her forehead. Happy nodded in agreement, panting. Lucy couldn't see the surrounds, for it was completely dark, but she knew she wasn't in the forest any more. She could hear the river nearby, and the wind was starting to pick up speed.

"This is going to be dangerous," Loki admitted. He hated to drag Lucy into things she couldn't handle, but he knew if she decided something, it was hard to try to convince her otherwise. "Can you tell me what happened before I came?" He turned to Lucy. She sighed.

"Ask the blue cat. He was with him the whole time, well, up until Natsu left." Lucy glared down at Happy, who had his face contorted into concentration.

"Well, after we were at the pretty lady's house, Lucy left to go search for the bandits. She fed me some yummy fish, and suddenly there was a huge crash. We ran out into the living room, and there stood a pink-haired girl on top of a black dog. It was very scary looking, so scary, I almost dropped my fish!" Lucy's eyes became flamed as she punched Happy's head. "OW! Loki! Help me! Lucy's scary again!" begged the blue cat.

"Lucy, let him finish his story." Loki signaled for her to stop, which she reluctantly did so.

Happy took in another deep breath. "After the dog came in he picked up Natsu and ran away with him. I almost got kidnaped by that little girl, but I managed to fly out of her reach. That dog ran away with Natsu, and Sachi-sama said she would go after him." This confused Lucy.

"Wouldn't we have seen Sachi-sama by now if she was searching for Natsu as well?" Lucy asked as she stood up. "And that dog...It must have ran back to the village while I wasn't looking! No wonder why he wasn't around when we headed into town."

"That explains the dog, but it still doesn't explain why Natsu was berserk." Loki added.

Lucy stared up at the sky. It was completely dark, and the stars shown bright. "We should head into town for now. No use searching for two people when we can't hardly see."

"Aren't you forgetting about me?" Loki asked innocently. Lucy smiled, although he couldn't see it.

"I know, but we're going to need our energy for tomorrow. You should head back to the spirit plane and rest. We don't know what is going to happen to us, and if we have to....well, let's hope we don't..." Lucy sighed.

Warm arms embraced her tightly. "Don't worry, Natsu won't be under their control for long. We'll get him back. I promise." Loki spoke with such seriousness, she could hardly believe it was Loki talking. Usually he was hitting on her, or complimenting her when he wasn't battling with her, but this...this just seemed off. But, nonetheless, she embraced her partner.

____________________________________________________

Lucy tossed and turned in her bed, gaining nothing but a major headache. She slowly sat up, not wanting to disturb the cat that laid sprawled out on the mattress. She slipped away and walked into the bathroom. She ran the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked horrifying. She was starting to gather dark circles under her eyes, and her hair looked like it was touched by a lightening rod.

She sighed. She splashed the cold water onto her face. "I...I can't believe I let them take him away like that...I'm...I'm so weak. I need to be stronger!" She pictured Erza and Gray here standing next to her with their serious faces on.

_What the hell! Why did you let them take him away! You're so useless! _Yelled 'Eraza'. Lucy just turned her attention to the water faucet.

_I can't believe Natsu even let you into this guild. The only thing useful about you is that you're pretty damn cute! _Added the semi naked Gray reflection.

"No...it's not my fault! I'll find him! He's my nakama! I'll find him at any cost!" a tear landed on the back of her hand.

"It was never your fault Lucy..." Lucy jumped at the sudden voice echoing in the small bathroom. She looked up into the mirror to see that Erza and Gray were now replaced by a tall handsome Loki. I gave him a small smile, and then reached down to splash her face with the cold water. She was handed a towel, and nodded in thanks. "Lucy...I-"

"It's okay. I know it was all my fault. But, I promise that I'm gonna set things right. He's my nakama, and I will get him back...some how." she said as she placed the towel gently onto the counter. She walked past Loki into the bedroom again and searched through her bag for her Advil.

There was a gently clank on the table that her bag was sat on and she realized that Loki had grabbed a small glass of water for her. Again, she nodded, taking the piles and swallowing them with the water. "Aaah...that felt good. Do you mind...?"

"No problem Lucy..." Loki quickly grabbed the glass and headed to the sink to grab some more water. Lucy settled into the big chair and waited for him to come back. Once he did, she quickly guzzled down the water, and sighing with satisfaction. She quietly placed the glass back onto the table and turned her attention to the window.

"Loki...do you think I can get Natsu back?" she asked quietly. He swiftly moved so he was sitting in the window sill, staring at her, but her gaze was still set on the moon.

"Lucy...if you could save me from disappearing, than you can save Natsu with the same willpower. After all, you can do anything you set your mind to." Lucy smiled a little, but than her heart sunk again.

"I...I...I wish I was stronger. Maybe, if I was stronger, I would have been able to take Natsu with us..."

"Don't think that way! I must admit, you may never be as strong as Erza, but you have strengths and weaknesses, just like the rest of us, you just haven't found them yet. Like, Natsu's weakness for transportation, or the fact that no one can stay depressed when the see Mira-chan's smile. Your abilities...you find them out some day..." Loki said with his world famous grin. Lucy's heart was suddenly thumping loudly. So loud, she swore that Loki could hear it. Her gaze had drifted to him, and found herself smiling, wildly. Sudden warmth filled her face, and she turned away, finding Happy to be extremely interesting in the dark.


	4. A disguise

**Chapter 4!!**

**Hola chicos y chikas! Thanks for putting up with my long absence! :P I kinda had a writers block...that and I kinda didn't have time! But that's ok! I figured it out! and I got a new chapter up!**

**I'm a horrible hypocrite...i have to tell you...I hate those ppls who take FOREVER to upload, but then again...that's me for ya! :P**

**I'm so stoked that people are actually adding this story to thier favorites/alerts! It makes me so happy!  
**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

*~*

The next morning seemed like a dream to Lucy. She found she was gently tucked under her blankets, with Happy, curled up on the pillow next to her. She sat up slowly, stretching her sore muscles from yesterday's hike.

She climbed out of bed, and did everything she usually do: shower, maker herself attractive, throw a pillow at Happy, you know, the usual. "Happy! Come on! We're going to go eat some breakfast!" Lucy clinked her keys on her belt, and glanced in the mirror. She smiled, feeling better than the night before. As she glanced back, a white sheet of paper caught her eye.

She walked over to the table, and read the neatly written letters:

_Dear Lucy,_

_I know you wanted to do this yourself, but you know your other nakama are going to be worried sick about you. I'm going to tell master about this first thing in the morning, so you can expect Erza and Grey to becoming along this afternoon. We both know that you can't do this alone...I'm sorry but, this is Natsu we're talking about, you'll need all the help you can get._

_I'll be back for you Lucy. And remember, you can always call._

_Love, _

_Loki _

Lucy read the printing over and over again. She couldn't believe it. Loki went this far to save Natsu, just for Lucy. It unsettled her knowing that her own Steller Spirit, without calling him, was doing this.

"Lucy, are you ok?" asked the blue cat as he landed face first onto the floor. She nervously turned around and laughed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why don't you go ahead to the café? I want to go look to see if they have a key here." She tried to look as convincing as possible, throwing on her best fake smile, which seemed to pass through Happy's sleepy eyes.

"Sure thing...I wonder if they serve fish in the morning..." he mumbled to himself as Lucy shut the door behind him. She crumpled the note and tossed it into the trash bin.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to do this, no matter what it takes." She glanced one more time in the mirror, seeing the strong women she needed to become. "I'm going to get you back Natsu." she nodded in agreement, and walked out the door.

______________________________________________

"Hey! Do you know when _it _is gonna happen? We've been waiting **forever!**" Complained the pink haired girl. She was dangling from Natsu's right arm swinging her stick around and poking Natsu in the ribs. The black dog watched her sway back and forth, like a victim would watch a hypnotic watch.

"We still have a little time to wait Miss. We still have until sundown before _it_ goes into action." The little girl's swinging grew more rapid, and suddenly, she flipped herself up so she was now sitting on Natsu's arm. During this, Natsu's expression remained blank, and empty, unlike the full-of-life expression he usually wore. It was like staring death in the face, but this didn't phase the little girl.

She poked the boy in the head. "You, put me down on Shoo this instant!" the black dog, as if it were a command, stood directly below Natsu's arm and immediately dropped it to his side, letting the girl fall onto the dogs back. The dog gave a small wimper, followed by a whack of her stick. "Shut up you mangey dog! You're just lucky dragon here has a battle today, or else I wouldn't even bother with you. Come on! Let's go play!" she swung her stick forward, as if she was leading an army, and the dog happily replied by sprinting at full speed.

"Natsu, come on. You need your energy..." she slid some spaghetti on a white plate over the table, and slowly sat back, to watch as the empty faced Natsu only stare down at the food. "What's wrong? Don't like it? Even after all the trouble of convincing Miss to decide something to eat..." Natsu roboticaly picked up the plate, and opened his mouth as wide as possible, letting the spaghetti slide into his mouth. She sighed. "You're always surprising me...."

Suddenly loud footsteps echoed through the small room, and they came to a halt. "How's everything going Diego?" She asked in a business like tone.

"Everything has been arranged. It seems some of Fairy Tail will be coming to help our little pet here and soon. They are expected to arrive some time this afternoon." Answered a low voice. The man strode over to the table and giving Natsu a quick glance, he turned his attention to the women leaning in the chair.

"Good. Miss can play a little before Natsu has to leave." She stood up, and paced towards the open door. "Keep an eye on them please? I need to go entertain our guest before she finds us out." Diego nodded, watching the women leave.

When he knew she was gone, he turned to Natsu. "Why Sachi...what happened?"

_______________________________________________

Meanwhile, near the edge of the forest, Lucy began pacing nervously, debating whether or not it was safe enough without Loki to go in there. "I need to find Natsu! But, what if they find me! I won't have Loki here to save me a second time...But, I should go in there....but what if their hiding spot isn't even in the forest any more! But...I've already checked every where, and Grey and Erza will be here shortly...But I need to go in there!" She stopped, feeling an eerie presence vibrating from the forest.

Lucy took a deep breath. "I can do this! Just...just think of your happy place...your happy place..." she started muttering as she took a step towards the woods. It seemed so much creepier in the day time than at night, and kinda wished it was pitch black so she wouldn't have to see everything.

She clenched her fists and strode forward, chest out, head high, to look like she was bigger and badder than everything else. Well, it worked, until she needed to breath. "Ok...maybe I can't do this..." she trembled to herself. She tried to stop herself, to turn back, to wait for Erza and Gray, but it was like a magnet was pulling her forward.

The sound of stirring leaves suddenly approached her, and at daring speeds, just like her heart beat. She finally stopped herself, and watched as a young women, in a blue T-Shirt, and shorts tackled her from out of no where, throwing them both backwards.

"Ugh! Ow...what happened...." whined Lucy as she slowly sat up, rubbing her head. The other figure did the same and they just sat there, with their hands on their heads, leaves everywhere, and dirt covering themselves. "Oh! Sachi-sama! H-how are you! What are you doing here?!" Lucy asked, helping the young women up. Sachi laughed nervously.

"Well....Natsu was dragged off by that weird black dog, so I went after him, but I ended up getting lost all night. I should have just waited for you, but I thought I had a chance of actually catching up..." She brushed the dirt off her shorts and started searching for something. "Where did I put that thing...oh! Here we are!" She grabbed a square piece of paper from the ground giving it a good shake, revealing a folded up map. "I managed to snatch this before leaving the house...I've been trying to keep track of where I've been....Here...we're on the south part of the forest, if I'm correct...the village is South East of where I went in, so we're about six miles from town...no that's not right...crap...I think the night threw me off...I'm sorry..."

Lucy scanned the map and noticed a little house with an 'X' through it. She pointed. "What's that?"

"Oh, that thing? It's an old house that used to be used, back when the frontiers men first came, there's actually several around there, but that's the biggest house there. You see the city shifted over the years and finally where it stands today! But, no one knows why of course, but...it's history!" She exclaimed happily. Lucy smiled. _At least someone is in a good mood today..._ Lucy looked around the map, and noticed small little figures representing landmarks. She noticed Sachi had marked where the fruit was found...and the big tree where Shoo made Lucy run up a tree...this was either weird, or a coincidence...why would someone have those kind of land marks on here, when the map was paretically empty? Something felt uneasy with her. Lucy sighed.

"Well, anyway, we should get moving, so we don't loose any more day light!" Lucy tried her upbeat voice, which seemed to please Sachi.

"Yeah! Natsu shouldn't be that hard to find!" Lucy nodded and they started off in the direction that Sachi had came from, hoping to find a clue of some sort.

"Oh! There she is! Can I play with her...please?" begged the little pink haired girl. They were up high in a tree, and she was sitting on her new pet's shoulders, watching the two women carefully.

"No, Sachi said not to interfere yet. You have more guests coming, and she said to wait for them."

The pink girl pouted, crossing her arms, and placing them on top of Natsu's head.

"Fine...but this is no fun. Come on Natsu! Let's go poke another squirrel or something..." she said, whacking him in the head. He stared with hard eyes at nothing in particular as he jumped down to the ground below.

*~*

**The complaining corner...dun dun dun!  
**

**Ok...I know this isn't relavant, but I kinda was typing this embarressing story, to you know work on the low writing skills I had, and I typed it on email...for reasons I have no clue why...XD but anyway...I had typed up this really embarressing chapter, and I had sent it to myself, and then the next day, I get a reply from a friend of mine, and thank god she's my best friend! :D but she was "worshipping" me for my lemony skills and all I could think was, "omg...i can't believe I sent it to her...but thank god it was only her!" yeah...i'm embarressed, but I got over it! Yay me!**


	5. The Flames

**Time is Changing!!!**

**Chapter 5: The flames**

**HIYA! :D I'm so excited that I'm posting! Well, I'm more excited about all of the AMAZING reviews I got, and the fact that people are actually WANTING to read my stories! ^_^ *random dancing* lol. Anyway. This is the LONGEST chapter that I've typed so far...I think...but I was proud of myself. I know I don't write long chapters, but bare with me. I'm trying. And this chapter it just kept coming to me! :D But I'm trying to keep my stories updated within every 3 weeks. If I don't I'm sorry, but don't mentally bash me in with a bat. I'm trying my hardest, but I have a limited time on the computer now...so I'm trying to type as fast as I can!  
**

**And once again: THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! more would help encourage the thinking process! :D :D**

*~*

It felt like hours to Lucy as they crawled deeper and deeper into the thickening forest. The leaves seemed to be so thick, not even a speck of light was showing through the tall trees. Chills were spiraling up Lucy's spine as it seemed the coolness in the air thickened with every breath, every step, and every small tick on Sachi's watch.

_Why me!? _Complained Lucy. She was starting to have a raging mental battle, as the awkwardness became like a curtain between the two women. _I just really had to go alone; without Happy, Loki, Grey, or Erza! And worse! Natsu is the one in trouble! Not me! Ugh! This is so irritating. Does she even know where we are going? _Lucy was screaming the words in her head as if they could instantly blow a hole in her head, and all the nasty thoughts would just burst out and attack her, if she didn't first.

This wasn't like Lucy. Lucy was a kind, yet sorta impatient, person, but wouldn't hurt anybody unless they deserved it. Even talking bad about people would just stress her out. She never talked about her past to anyone, even when her father was a complete duchbag to her, she never spoke a word.

"Oh no!" suddenly Sachi spoke. She froze right in her tracks, making Lucy bump into her, which made her stop herself in her mid stream argument. They were currently battling weather or not to just bound Sachi up now and just go in the direction she knew the burnt house was. But, of course, she didn't.

Sachi padded her pockets, searching, panicking about something that Lucy didn't seem to get.

"What's wrong?" Lucy spat out rather quickly.

"Well, it seems I lost my cell...I had it on me before I crashed into you...Oh no...we have to go back. I need it!" She quickly turned around Lucy and started back in the direction they came from.

"It's probably long gone by now! Do you know how many wild things are in these woods? The bears might have crushed it, or the squirrels might have picked it up, thinking it was some sorta nut! Besides, are you sure that's the direction we came from?" Lucy crossed her arms, waiting impatiently for her to respond.

"Well...I-I know it was...um...that way?" she pointed in a relative location, just slightly to the left. "Ya, that's gotta be it!" and she stomped off towards that direction.

"Well, let me guess, that's were the map says we have to go! I bet we weren't even at the first spot you said we were!" Lucy pointed an accusing finger at her. Sachi froze in her spot, her back turn. But what Lucy didn't she was the smug face that she made when she heard Lucy's voice spit out like acid. She slowly turned, her face becoming one of confusion. _I only have to play with this brat just a little bit longer, and then I can get rid of her! _Sachi thought to herself.

"What do you mean? I've been trying to _help_ you! Not trying to make you lost or, whatever crazy idea you think I'm plotting! Oh, let me guess, if you splash water at me, you think I'll melt! Well, let me tell you the truth: I'm trying to help you find Natsu!" Lucy stared at the women's cold eyes. Some strange vibe was telling her that she was telling the truth; That Sachi really did want to help her find Natsu, but again, something about them was telling her that those eyes had a different meaning around them. Lucy sighed.

"Fine, We'll head that way. We'll try to find your cell, and then we'll take another look at the map. We should head back to the village if it's going to get to late." Sachi smiled, and breathed a 'thank you' and they hurried along the poorly made trail in the woods.

"Seriously. Please. Keep your shirt on. No one wants to see you nude in public."

"I've told you before, it's just out of habit. If you don't like it, than turn your head the other way."

"Well I'm sorry if you happen to be on the other side of the map."

"Well than just take your map to another booth. Your presence is no longer required."

"Will you please focus! This is Lucy's and Natsu's and Happy's future we are trying to protect here! If what the unnamed source tells us is true, than Natsu is pretty dangerous, and if he isn't himself, he could hurt anyone. Including_ you_, you dimwit!" Grey sighed, leaning forward onto the map.

"So, what else did this 'unnamed' source tell us?"

Erza shrugged. "Not much. Apparently, Lucy and Happy are in the village, and Natsu is in this huge area, being hypnotized. We don't know their motive, or what is really happening, but, what we do know, is whatever they are doing, they need Natsu's power. And he's a true dragon when it comes to certain circumstances." Grey ran his fingers through his black hair and sighed. He finally slipped on his shirt again, and turned his attention to the window. They were only minutes away from the village and so many things were winding up in his head like a yo-yo.

Thoughts like "What the hell Natsu?" and "How could you guys screw up such an easy mission?" But the one that really stuck a nerve was, "What the hell is going on!"

Erza could read his expression like a book, but even she was worried about what was happening between the three of them, yet she could pull off the calmer look better than Grey could any day.

The train slowly pulled up to the station, and they stood up, getting off at a fast pace. They looked around, but hardly anyone was there: four station workers, and some ladies that were getting on the train. "What the hell is going on here?" Grey asked one of the young women as she headed to the central office. She sighed shaking her head.

"People in our peaceful village are missing, so those who are left are trying everything they can to keep running the village smoothly. So, you'll hardly see anyone in town." But, before any more questions were asked, she shuffled off, in an even faster pace. From the sound of it, she was crying.

"Poor women. I wonder how long this has been going on for?" Erza asked quietly as they made there way across the platform.

"What we first need to find, is Lucy and Happy. Than any other question can be answered." The other women who sat in the ticket booth over heard their conversation.

"Excuse me! Are you two from Fairy Tale?" She asked eagerly. They stopped, and back tracked themselves to the booth.

"Yeah. Why?"

The woman gave a wide smile. "Oh, the other guild members, and a blue cat, passed through here not long ago. I believe their names are...Natsu? And Lucy? I don't remember the cat's name though..." She said thoughtfully.

"Ya. That would be them. Are they still in town?" asked Grey. The women nodded.

"Oh yes. They haven't left yet. But, if your looking for the blondie, she went into the forest hours ago, sometime early this morning, while I was on my way to work. She was standing outside the forest, and then she just suddenly went in. I doubt she hasn't came out yet."

"What!? She went in! This morning!" Erza slammed a hand down on the counter, startling the woman.

"And what do you mean by, 'hasn't came out yet'? The forest doesn't look that big." The woman shook her head vigorously, her hat almost coming off.

"Oh no! That forest grows for the word dangerous! Sure, the first....mile in is safe, but once you pass the old creepy shack, it gets very dangerous. The forest only used to go to the shack. Never grew past it. But, over the last 50 years, it's been sprouting like none other! So, the original part of the wood is more dense than the newer part."

"Well, did she go in with the blue cat at least?" asked Erza. The woman shook her head no.

They gave the woman their thanks and headed for the road.

"Damn it Lucy! I hope to god she knows what she's getting into."

"Don't worry Grey. She'll be fine. After all, she is part of Fairy Tale, and our nakama. She's strong. Don't be so worried, but we should go find Happy first, then head in." Erza turned onto the path to the village. "I have a bad feeling this is only going to get worse."

The little blue cat laid down on a small booth in the town café, his stomach stretched out with delicious bacon, orange juice, and of course, fish. The waitress walked by and noticed that the blue cat's company hadn't shown up yet, and the cat had been laying there napping. The other few costumers were staring at the oddly colored cat that was stretched out in a restaurant. The were either thinking, 'What the Hell?', or 'What's wrong with that thing?' and so on and so forth.

"Excuse me? Lil' Blue? Are ya alive?" poked the young waitress. Suddenly, as if coming back to life, he slowly rise, with half lidded eyes, and bacon bits all over his face, he managed to moan out an, "oooohhh..." and plop back down. The woman giggled, sitting down in the booth with Happy. "Don't ya have somebody comin' for ya? Ya look so lonely just sittin' here." Happy made another attempt to sit up, and managed to keep his balance.

"Well, Lucy is suppose to be here, and it's already past breakfast. And Grey and Erza should be here too, but I don't know when there coming..." Happy sighed, his face drooping to a not so happy expression.

"Oh, cheer up Lil' cat. Today is your lucky day. I'm gonna go help you find your buds." The cat's eyes opened wide, and a smile spread across his face.

"You really will? But, won't you miss work?" he asked doubtingly.

She waved the matter aside. "Don't worry, my Ma runs the place. She won't mind if I skip an hour or two helpin' a new friend. By the way, don't you have a name?" she stood up, wiping her hands off onto her apron.

"My name is Happy! And yours?" The cat got up and clung to her shoulder. She giggled.

"Such a funny name for a cat. My name is Maria."

"Nice to meet you Maria. Now let's go!" Happy pointed to the door in his super man pose and she giggled again.

"Ok. Where should we look first?"

"Damn it! Why can't we find my cell phone anywhere?!" Whined Sachi. Lucy sighed and brought out her cell again.

"I've told you this a thousand times already! It's OFF! You know, that's what happens when your cell isn't ON..."

Sachi gave her a death glare. _This bitch is REALLY starting to get on my nerves....how much longer I can take of this? This? This...tragedy! _

Suddenly, Lucy's boot caught on a small branch that was hidden underneath the nasty old leaves.

*Thunk*

"Are you alright?" Sachi rushed to Lucy's side, praying to god that it snapped her ankle in half.

"I...I think so...OW! Ok, that was stupid...I think I twisted my ankle..."

"Do you think you can walk?" Sachi helped her up, and she gently put pressure on her right foot, but it instantly retreated the instant her foot laid flat on the ground.

"No...I'm sorry to burden you like this...why don't you go ahead and look for the cell...I'll be right behind you."

_As lovely as that sounds, I need her for my plan as well...damn my luck... _"Oh, no I couldn't do that Lucy! I told you I would help you find Natsu, and damn it that's what I'm gonna do!" she tried to sound as convincing as possible, but she could tell a little bit of doubt in her tone, but she didn't think Lucy caught it.

"Really? Oh...ok...I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry accidents happen, we just need to get you something to help you stand. Not to be rude or anything, but I don't think I can support your weight for long." Lucy smiled at her hospitality.

"Your right. Well, I noticed that there are big sticks nearer to the thicker trees. Maybe we should look around there for one." Sachi nodded.

"To hell with this! Looking for Happy is taking forever! I say we should split up! One for Lucy, and the other for Happy."

"Or we can stick together, and then go find Lucy. Grey, you really need to learn to be patient at times." Grey sighed, rubbing his head. He sat down on the park bench and sighed.

Erza crossed her armored arms and took a look at the map an old gentleman gave them when encountering the store.

"This really isnt' getting us no where." Grey stood up, and suddenly started sprinting for the forest.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING!" she called out, earning them stares by the people around them.

"TO GO SAVE MY FRIENDS!" he called out behind. _Hold on Natsu, Lucy. I'm coming!_

Erza stood there watching her ice mage friend disappear into the forest. She finally nodded to herself. She turned to the village and stared for a few moments. _Sorry Happy, but I'm gonna go save Lucy for right now, but once we find her, we're coming for you, than Natsu..._

**Just outside the forest, next to a certain tree.....**

"Why in hell is it taking Sachi so long Diego?! Shouldn't she have been back with the blond girl and the blue kitty already?" said the pink haired girl.

Diego tried to keep an empty expression, after all, he wasn't suppose to be the person that Sachi thought they he was.

"Yoshiko*, you have to learn to be patient. You still have a few hours before we take action. Why don't you entertain Natsu for a while. He's starting to grow restless with power." Diego sighed.

Diego was a tall man around his late 20's. He had a dark red beard with a matching full head of hair, which were both trimmed neatly. He wore a black muscle t-shirt that defined his body, along with black slacks and nice dress shoes. He swung his blue jacket over his shoulder as he leaned against the tree. He looked down at his cell. It was about 3 in the afternoon. If Sachi didn't come back, bad things could happen.

"!" Diego turned his head just slightly, to catch the sight of Natsu.

"Damn it!" Diego screamed.

Natsu was starting to grow out of control. His eyes teamed with malice as he took a deep breath in and blew out the dangerous flames that made hell's seem like candles. Yoshiko was just out of reach of his flames, but Natsu was coming closer, step by step. Diego had never seen her that scared in all of his life. Diego was immediately at Yoshiko's side, just barely pulling her out of the flames, but unfortunately, burning most of his left arm in the process. Natsu puffed before inhaling for another round.

"D-D-Diego! A-are you o-o-ok?!" she said through thick tears. Diego gave her a small smile, clutching his arm.

He nodded, not being able to speak for the fear of, saying anything would just end up in yells and screams of torture. With his only good arm, he picked up Yoshiko and ran to the tree, throwing her down the secret passage way that lead to the hideaway.

"Shiko! Go! Find Sachi, and warn her that our experiment is out of control! Run with haste!" The pink haired girl stared up with watery eyes, but nodded, reluctantly leaving behind her savior. The man turned back to Natsu.

Natsu's focus wasn't on him though; It wasn't on the forest in general. He was facing south, to where his nose could catch the strongest stench of human: the village.

*~*

**:D I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! and HAPPY TURKEY DAY! :D :D**


	6. Devastation for All

**Time is Changing**

**by: me!! :P**

**I am TOALLY sorry that i haven't posted a chapter in like, forever. i'm the worst hypocrite.**

**But i was pretty busy. I know lame excuse, but I honestly was working hard for you guys! and I just now noticed that the first 5 chapters have been in the forest, so it was making me pissed off. So just to let you know, NO MORE FOREST! more lokiXlucy time! yay! what you were really looking forward too! *bows***

**Well, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 7: Devastation for all **

***~*  
**

"How much futher Sachi-sama?" Asked Lucy. The trees were finally starting to spread a little, and they knew they were out of the dangerous part of the forest. Lucy smiled when she saw two blue birds chirping. A sudden loud rumble filled the air, and animals started heading deeper from where the two women came from. "What on Earth...?" Sachi muttered to herself. They watched as several deer pranced by at top speed.

Sachi's face turned instantly stiff as a statue as the rumble grew louder.

They slowly came to a stop, Sachi's face still numb and frozen in the direction the rumbling sounds were coming from. "Sachi-sama? Is there something wrong?" Lucy waved her hand in front of Sachi's face, hoping she would at least blink or attempt to breath, but no such reaction occurred. Sachi, like the rest of her movements, slowly let go of Lucy and took several steps forward, an icy aura following her. "Sachi?....Are you ok?" Lucy kept repeating. She couldn't move far, because of her ankle, so she just stood, only watching Sachi, and her ears catching the rumbles of the anonymous source.

Lucy felt quaking under her feet. _This must be an earthquake of some sort... _Lucy thought, looking around at the ground. She looked up at the swaying trees, and noticed that the leaves seemed to be growing further away from her. When she looked down, it was too late.

A space about 4 ft. wide was slowly revealing it's self, and Lucy was sliding down a steep cave entrance.

"SACHI-SAMA!!!! HELP!!" Lucy called out, landing on her knees, grabbing the nearest small branches, hoping that it would keep her above the sudden dark abyss. Lucy looked up, tears starting to streak her face. "Help me! I'm slipping!" Lucy didn't dare to look at where she was heading, but kept her gaze up at the sky. When she glanced down at Sachi, her fear only increased.

Sachi wore an odd expression, one Lucy had never seen before, of course, she'd seen plenty from past missions. But this one didn't seem to fit the Sachi she came to know. Sachi's eyebrows were furrowed, and an evil smile spread from ear to ear. She threw her head back, and gave an insane laugh; one of a mad man.

"Sachi-sama this, Sachi-sama that!" She pointed one of her long white fingers down at Lucy's terrified face. "Your such an imbecile, Lucy. Nothing but a waste of my time. I don't get how Natsu even put up with a face like yours around. He should have just burnt you to a crisp back at the shack! But you and your damned keys. That Loki of yours should have just left you there to rot in hell, where the devil would have had fun playing with your slutty body!" She spit to the side and crouched down, several inches away from the edge, just in case the edge gave way. "You know, That's a far way down, maybe another good 30 feet, and all hard stone at the bottom. And the best part is that your running low on energy, and you can't fucking walk to save your life, even if all you did was sprang it! Your such a pathetic soul. But your kind does belong to that wretched guild anyway. Your all dumbasses to begin with. Why don't you just let go and die all ready?" Sachi picked up a good sized rock and began to wind up her arm.

"Don't do it Sachi...I know this isn't the real you!" Lucy cried out, eyes wide, tears soaking the ground beneath her.

"See ya in hell bitch!" Sachi called out, releasing the stone.

*~*

Gray ran as fast as he could through the tall trees. But, with all of the debris on the ground, he couldn't tell when there was an uproot until it was too late. Even so, he ran with haste. He sensed a large amount of magic power, pouring in from the Northeast part of the forest. It was moving, but what seemed like a circle. The rubles coming from that general direction were beginning to teeter Grays patience for finding his nakama.

"Damn it Lucy? Why do you always have to be the damsel in distress all the time? I swear it's a talent of yours." he said, not caring for the passing of the wild animals, almost mauling him over trying to run away.

He paused to regain his breath. He leaned his hand against a nearby tree, trying to focus his thoughts over the noises booming throughout the thick wood. _This is not going as well as I thought. I never realized really how big this forest is...I don't think I'll be able to find Lucy in time to save Natsu and the village...this is bad...._

"You giving up yet Gray?" spoke a demanding voice. Gray quickly looked up to the direction he just came, and there stood the red haired knight in shining armor.

She had chosen to wear a lighter armor; it had the same breast plate, except there was no metal sleeves, and her usual skirt and turned into shorts that went midway to her knees, which were met by her metal knee protectors. She swung around a long, yet thin blade, and with one quick spin, she sheathed it.

"To hell with that. I just needed a break to think." Erza tossed a canteen into the air, which Gray caught and happily took a big mouthful of.

"BUUAHH! That was good some good water. Now what are we going to do about Natsu and Lucy though?" Gray asked, passing back the canteen.

"It seems that the stronger magic power is Natsu, and the weaker one Westward is Lucy's. I can feel it." Gray blinked.

"You can feel Lucy's? All I can tell is Natsu's over everything." Erza examined the surrounding area, getting a better judgement.

"It seems that Lucy might be trapped somewhere. The roots around here are uncontrollable, and Natsu is probably burning everything to the ground by now." Erza nodded, pausing a moment, as if to make something clear in her head. "I'll go and try to stop Natsu. You go find Lucy." Gray punched the wall.

"You expect me to find someone that I could hardly sense to begin with! Your fucking nuts!"

"Just calm down Gray. In this kind of situation, a hot head isn't going to get you any where in life. Besides, Lucy is closer, and with your speed, Natsu could have already reached the village by the time you make it back out of the forest. Besides, it seems that Lucy hasn't moved since we've entered the forest." Gray growled a little, but took a deep breath nevertheless.

"Fine...I'll find Lucy."

"Good. Once you do, head to the village. Take her somewhere safe, and then meet up with me. You'll know where to find me. I'll try to hold him off as long as I can." They both nodded, and hurried off to their respected zones.

*~*

"*huff* *huff* Damn it..."

Diego didn't have much fight left in him, after all, his left arm was burnt, but that really didn't effect his magic style much. Now he would just have to use the other arm. Natsu again, began charging at full speed towards the red head. Diego began charging what he had left for magic in his right arm, and with precise timing, threw his arm into Natsu's stomach.

But unfortunately, the dragon slayer was even better at Diego's game, than Diego himself.

While at the full sprint, Natsu's arm began to flame up, and as Diego threw out his arm, so did Natsu. The collision of the two powerful magics, sent waves of agony through the others arms. Diego got the worse end of the deal.

They were both thrown back, just like the wave of magic that followed, knocking Diego into three trees, and Natsu into the nearby river.

Diego was knocked out cold, with a burnt left arm, and a completely shattered right. Blood began to ooze from the fracture in his skull, slowly, but still being able to tell he wasn't going to last long.

Natsu on the other hand, was struggling to keep his head above water. Even though the river was only two feet deeper than his height, he was having to struggle in order to keep above the surface. The small current began to push him along the water, to even deeper depths.

Natsu was beginning to drown, inching further away from the surface.

*~*

The trees just seemed to grow darker and more ominous for Gray as he ventured further into the woods to find Lucy. He was finally able to sense her presence once he was far enough away from Natsu. He watched the animals as they sped past him. Something didn't seem right to him...

A sudden movement though, through a brush far on his right. An antelope bounded past, and the brush began to stir violently. Gray took precaution and darted to the nearest tree. He better be safer than sorry.

*~*

It began turning the gears in her brain. Slowly, but surely she began to click everything together. Sachi did this. Everything was her doing. The invite, the fruit, the kindness...everything was all to get past Fairy Tail's trust. Of course. She knew Fairy Tail had many of the strongest mages around, so of course one strong one was bound to come along, and even if it was someone weak, like herself, they would still be weakness to Fairy Tail.

But the only question was, what was the motive?

This was the thoughts that passed through Lucy's head as Sachi released the stone from her hand. Lucy shut her eyes tight, hoping the pain would come and go quickly.

But nothing came.

Not a single sound came. Lucy thought her mind was going in slow mode, so if she looked up, BAM, the rock would hit her square in the noggin. So she clutched on tighter.

"What the hell are you doing to my Lucy?" asked an irresistible voice. A warm hands grabbed around Lucy's waist and with some convincing she wasn't going to die, she let go, letting the gentle voice guide her to safety.

"What are you talking about? She doesn't have the strength to summon you, so how in hell did you wind up here! Answer me!"

Lucy finally opened her eyes to see Virgo was attending to her wounds, and Loki standing guard with a frightened Sachi standing before them. Loki's posture remained straight as he took steps towards the cowering fool. "You will never lay your hands on Lucy ever again. And if you do, you won't be able to see tomorrow. Is that clear?" Loki began poping his knuckles, when Lucy grabbed his arm.

Loki tore his gaze away from Sachi and looked down into tearful eyes that had "Please" written on ever inch of her gallant brown eyes. Loki wiped away the tears and smiled. "Please don't cry...I promise..I won't kill her..." Lucy smiled a little, backing away. Virgo immediately began her first aid.

"What the hell do you mean your not going to kill me? Bull shit! If that's the case, I might as well just kill you all."

In a flash, Loki gabbed her in the stomach with his kneed, knocking her breathless. She stumbled backwards, trying to catch her breath as her vison went wild. Another kick to the head sent her into the nearest bush, and there pain shot up her spin as the thorniest branch scraped and cut through her skin like knives. Now she was bleeding, and gasping for air. "AUGH!" she yelled, as soon as words would reach her. "DAMN IT! AHH!" She tried to pull, but the branches dug deeper into her flesh, burning the desire to kill herself right then and there. Strong hands embraced her neck, turning her eyes to Loki's blurry figure.

"Now, how do we stop Natsu?" he asked softly, not wanting Lucy to over hear. Sachi spit in his face and chuckled, pain stopping her from getting any louder.

"To hell with you...there is no antidote."

"You're lying. Tell me." his grip tightened.

*cough* "Alright...right....There is only one way....he must eat drink the cursed fruits juice..."

"Alright. And where is the fruit?" Sachi smiled painfully.

"There is a catch though...*cough* * cough* it...must be processed...and it takes hours...I doubt you'll be able to find it...Natsu will destroy everything by the time you find it....and then it'll be too late...." her eyes slowly shut as her breath became low and soft.

"Loki! What happened!" Lucy called out, who was now dressed in bandages and new attire. Loki sighed, taking the women's pulse.

"She's fine for now, but we need to head to town." He gently, with the help of Virgo, untangled her from the brush, removing the branches with caution, but haste. Virgo carried Sachi in her arms.

"I'll go ahead and take her to the hospital Princess." Lucy nodded, and smiled as Virgo raced brilliantly through the forest.

"What are we going to do-" his finger brushed against Lucy's lips, lingering as he pushed her towards the bush. Sudden noises could be heard from the other side, but the bush was too thick to see what.

"I'm going to look...stay here." Loki mouthed. Lucy nodded, face flushed with color. Lucy hadn't realized they were so close until she could smell the fresh mint on his breath that lingered even after he left. She grabbed her keys just in case she needed to summon another.

"WHAT THE HELL!" yelled a familiar voice. Lucy quickly struggled standing, but managed to catch the sight of Gray with Loki's fist only inches away.

"Gray? What are you doing here?" Loki lowered his fist and smiled pleasantly.

"What the hell am I doing here? I should be asking you this! I mean come on! This far into the forest?!" Lucy laughed nervously and sweatdropped.

"Ok, this isn't the time for this. I'm assuming that Erza is here as well." Gray nodded.

"That's right. Come on." Gray grabbed Lucy's hand and began to drag her to the direction he was going.

"What are you doing Gray!" Lucy asked confused. Loki slapped Gray's hand and began to carry Lucy bridal style, which made her color turn ever redder.

"I-I-I can walk thank-"

"What the hell Loki! I'm suppose to be taking her to town! Now!"

"Well, I'm her guardian, besides-" Loki began to run, "-Lucy was hurt. Now how dare you make an injured girl run?" he called out behind to Gray. Gray began fuming.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Just then a great wave of magic power washed over the field, pausing every animal, every plant, and even Loki. The wave intensified 10 fold, and suddenly died, letting no magic linger in the air. Gray's face dropped. "Natsu!" he caught up to Loki. "Loki! Natsu! Something's wrong!" Loki began to growl.

"Something must have happened. Natsu shouldn't be that easy to stop." Loki paused to think.

"Sachi must be in town by now! Virgo should be tending her wounds. We need her to tell us where the antidote is! Loki," Lucy looked into Loki's eyes with determination. "Take me to town. I know where she is so find it is all that's left. Gray. Please. Go find Erza. Help her search for Natsu. We need to hurry. Someone's life is on the line here!" The two males nodded, sprinting to their destinations.

*~*

Erza paid close attention to her surroundings. She couldn't sense neither Gray's nor Lucy's magic as she drew closer and closer to the fight. It seemed there was another source of power other than Natsu's, so to who ever was holding him off, she thanked deeply. All she needed to do was get there, and they could go warn the villagers, just in case Gray took longer than expected. Erza stopped high in a tree and scoped the area.

She noticed there were no animals, there was an intense heat radiating from the outside, and there were tons of burnt places among the plants. Natsu was riled up big time.

_There's no time to waste. I must get there. Let's just hope I'm there in time...._

She landed gracefully with a thud on the ground and once again began running. She drew her sword, and called out a shield. The light was beginning to burn her eyes. So she knew she was close.

She could tell now exactly who was who in the fight. Natsu was constantly moving while the guest was within 10 ft within a given area. But, suddenly, they were beginning to charge at one another, and with furious power. "Damn it!" she called out, taking a huge leap of faith. The magics suddenly collided, and the wave that followed sent her crashing to the nearby tree.

She heard a splash as her vison began to waver. Struggling to stand and breath she realized that it was Natsu in the water.

"Damn it....I didn't make it...." she pushed her body to the outside brim of the forest and saw what was worse than she thought. Trees were burnt for about a mile, and there in the middle was where there lied a little pink haired girl covered in blood. "I...I was too late..." Erza said, collapsing to the ground, a tear streaking only half her face. "Damn it...all to hell."

*~*

**oh...i thought this story was longer...OH WELL! that was a different story i'm writing, which won't fu*^&ing post for some reason! so i'm having to retype it all....all frickin 13 pgs of it. but the people will be happy!**

**Lucy: I'm so glad you posted! ^^**

**Loki's Angel: Oh, why thank you! now i'm going baserk!**

**Lucy: ...why?**

**LA: cuz i'm talking to a fiction character! bye! :P**

**Loki'sAngel. Out!  
**


	7. That Dark Percentage

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**Time is Changing  
****By: Me!**

**I am sooooo sorry that i hadn't uploaded this story in like...forever... but i'm not going to make up excuses like Kakashi sensei...mine arent' as good :D**

**BTW, I hadn't realized how fricken SHORT these chapters were! someone should have said SOMETHING! So i doubled this chapter! you guys probably forgot this tale, and some how, I didn't! **

**So, please ENJOY! **

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**Chapter 7: That Dark Percentage**

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* * *

_**

E

rza managed to cross the river and walk over to the little girl. She kneeled over and rolled the girl over so she could see her face. Tears were running down and she slowly opened her eyes. "Daddy's gone...Daddy..." the girl mumbled. Erza was surprised, but utterly relieved someone had made it out ok.

"Can...can you tell me what happened?" Erza asked quietly, and the girl threw her arms around Erza's waist.

"Dragon boy...*sniff* he hurt daddy...daddy won't wake up...won't wake up..." she began bawling even harder, and Erza was speechless.

"The dragon boy...where did he go?" Erza asked sweetly. The girl shook her head and pointed from where Erza came. "Into the forest?" The girl once again shook her head. "Water..." she mumbled. Erza cursed in her mind, not wanting to upset the girl any further.

She looked over the area. Everything was broken, whether it be the ground, or trees. "Miss...I should take you to town. You can rest." The girl didn't respond, but she didn't need too. _Kids shouldn't have to see their parents die._

Erza gently cradled her and began running to town. She would have to come back for the remains later.

* * *

Lucy felt sort of restrained against Loki. Although he felt so warm against the cool wind that passed by, she didn't feel so comfortable with the thought of how he was carrying her, but they honestly didn't have any time to argue...not now anyway. Not with both the village's and Natsu's lives on the line.

Lucy felt the magic of Virgo hidden within the city. Her magic was well balanced, as if none of this truly phased her. _I bet she's had a lot of training...I just hope she can keep it up long enough before anyone realizes what's really going on..._

Lucy tightened her grip around Loki's necktie, trying to fight back the darkening thoughts. "Tell me...everything is going to be ok?...Please?" Lucy whispered. She thought he couldn't hear her, because she didn't couldn't even hear herself. But the words just rolled off her tongue like dumbbell falling on concrete. Loki moved her, so gently and swiftly, so her head was right under his chin while he came to a sudden stop.

"As long as you believe, I will stand tall," Loki whispered. "I will be your pillar. Your sanctuary. Your friend. And you know why?" Lucy looked up, the tears were thickening in her eyes, slowly edging over her lids, sliding down far enough to be wiped away by a soft finger. "It's because I believe in you. Now. I think there are some others who believe in you as well. You just have to go for it." Loki smiled a genuine smile showing off his brilliant teeth. "So what are you going to do?" Lucy sighed and looked down at his tie.

Her grasp around the it became a death grip of determination. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I'll do it Loki. I'll save Natsu…" Loki followed close behind, hoping that everything was ok.

It seemed like everything now and then was only being motivated by hope. The hope of Dreams

The hope of the future.

The hope of Love.

The hope of Friendship.

The hope that their lives weren't going to end that afternoon.

* * *

Lucy turned the corner, recalling the way to Sachi's house. She could sense Virgo's presence nearby, and began to drift towards it. When they reached the street, it was packed with almost every villager, all turned in one general direction. "Come on!" Lucy called to Loki, grabbing his hand so they could make it through the crowd together in one piece.

Murmurs were being echoed from every direction. "Is she ok?"

"What's with that blue cat?"

"What's wrong with Sachi?"

"Who in hell is that pretty lady?" and many others corresponding to the situation. The were able to squeeze through the crowd and come across the residence of Sachi.

Her windows were still broken, and plainly through it, you saw Virgo, standing in the viewing of Sachi on the couch, who too was covered by blankets. "Please, leave the mistress alone." Virgo pleaded in her monotonies voice.

"Virgo! Is she all right?" Lucy called out, almost being dragged back into the crowd.

"Princess! Yes, she's fine. But you better clean up. You look so filthy." Virgo rushed to the door and pulled both Loki and Lucy through, and slammed the door shut.

"What the hell is going on?" an older gentleman called through the broken window. Lucy stormed over and motioned for the crowd to hush.

"She's injured, but it's ok! She's fine! Now, will you please leave miss Sachi-sama alone? She needs her rest." The crowed was soon quiet, and soon after, people began to disappear like ghosts into their own houses, only to view Sachi's home under suspicion through the houses blinds.

Virgo pulled the curtains back and turned her attention back to Lucy with a wet towel at hand.

"Wait, where did you get that?" Lucy asked, backing away slowly.

"I usually keep one at hand. Will you please hold still?" she asked, trying to get a good wipe at Lucy's face. Loki eventually stood in front of Virgo, blocking all access to Lucy.

"We have no time for this now Virgo. We need to save Natsu, and soon. This is what our master has decided." Virgo took a moment to compose herself and nodded, sliding the wet towel in her apron pocket.

"Here you go Virgo! Some ice in a bag…." Lucy looked past Virgo, and saw Happy floating with a plastic bag with melting ice in it. The mage stepped around her gaurdian grapping the bag from Happy's grip.

"I see you're still alive happy." Lucy commented, a little relived, but still slightly perplexed at Happy's presence. "How long have you been here?" She asked as she walked over to Sachi, who was on her stomach so her back could be bandaged.

"Oh, I've been here for about an hour-"

"Great. Awesome." She would have taken much more interest in the subject, but Sachi's eyes were fluttering, probably from trying to sleep, but the pain was making it impossible. "Sachi? Sachi, can you hear me?" she only nodded in response. "Can you tell me where the antidote is?" There was no movement from the brunette. "Sachi, this is important that you tell us. We need to know and now."

Her hand began to twitch towards the open door on the wall opposite of the window. "Drawer…" she whispered. Lucy motioned for Loki to go ahead.

"Can you tell me which drawer?" There was a moment of silence before Sachi dropped her hand, her breaths growing heavier.

"Be…hind…" she began, but her eyes clamped shut, exhaustion getting the better of her.

"Thank you Sachi. Virgo will get you patched up in no time." Lucy patted the woman's head gingerly before standing. "Virgo. You know what to do." the maiden nodded as she turned and grabbed for more bandages.

Lucy headed into the hall and heard noise coming from the rooms on the far right. "Did you find anything yet Loki?" She called out, entering the first room she came across.

"Not yet. We don't have enough time to search every where."

Lucy began opening a dresser draw, empting it's contents onto the floor. "Then just make it faster and dump everything! I'm sure it's bound to be somewhere! She said 'behind' so try looking behind the drawers as well!" She pulled out two more drawers. Nothing. One after another, she pulled each of the drawers, dumping them into a pile, checking anything suspicious and then tossed the empty drawers onto the bed. "Ok…next room." she muttered as she ran out into the hall. The next room was currently being checked by Loki, so she rushed into the next room which was a guest bedroom.

"There's nothing in here!" yelled Loki. I heard something hard being thrown into a wall and crash to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing!" Lucy called out panicking. This was no time to lose a temper, they needed to find the antidote and fast.

"I'm looking! That's what!" Loki retorted. Lucy stopped and dropped the wood she was holding and rushed to the room over. The orangette was standing with his fists clenched against the wall with a huge hole next to his right hand. He slightly cocked his head, his expression read 'extremely stressed and pissed' all over. "I think that nutcase is lying to us." Lucy froze in her spot. She hadn't taken that possibility into consideration. I mean, the woman was on the brink of death, so why would she want to help the world out? It wouldn't matter to her.

"That's not true Loki." Lucy whispered.

Loki pushed himself away from the wall and began to pace around the small bedroom. "Then explain to me how Natsu ended up that way in the first place? Wasn't it her fault? Didn't she lie about that thing he ate? Saying he'll be fine and what not?" he ran a hand through his thick mane before taking a deep breath.

"Well we have to at least do something!" Lucy's voice was caught in her throat as the burning sensation rose through her threatening to fall as tears. "Natsu is our nakama. And I'll be damned if anything bad will happen to him, or to the rest of these good people!" Lucy snapped. With her left hand, she wiped away the tears, "I'm going to do this! I'm going to be strong, and do this for my friends. And if you can't handle this, than I'm sorry. Go back and I'll do this by myself." She turned on her heel and sped through the door, back towards the other rooms.

Hadn't the lion want Lucy to stand tall? To be able to take her own actions? Yes…but not like this. Not with tears in her eyes, and death lying at her feet. Not by herself anyway. Loki looked around the room. It was painted pink with a princess theme to it. _this isn't right…this isn't Sachi's room…_Loki thought, he walked out and peeked into the room Lucy had first expected. _This one looks more like a guest bedroom…no pictures or anything…so that means…_

"Lucy! I got it!" Loki called out. He rushed to the last room, only to stop at the door way.

Lucy was on her hands and knees, sobbing so hard, yet so silently you couldn't even hear her breaths. "Lucy…"

"What are you still doing here!" she sat up, gripping some of the items from the drawers. "I thought I said, I was going to do this myself!"

She stood up slowly, swaying dangerously until she fixed herself straight, looking into the mirror. "I think I might know where it is." Loki had continued; as if she had never yelled. "We were in the wrong rooms! Why would she keep them in the guest bedroom, or a child's room?" he asked rhetorically. He took quick strides to the dresser, and kneeled, peering inside one of the empty slots. Carefully, his eyes glided over every inch of the wood, hoping that there was some clue. Lucy meanwhile had placed herself on the bed, her back facing the dresser. Gripping her knees, she closed her eyes, hoping that maybe this was all a trick. A dream more like it.

Five. Ten minutes passed, and finally Loki reached in, and a loud snapping sound was heard. "There we go." he mumbled. "And here's the compartment with…perfect." Curious, Lucy glanced over her shoulder to see Loki standing with a small phial of blue liquid and a syringe. "I think we've found our cure."

"You mean, you found the cure. While I just sat here and watched."

"Don't be like this. We have to hurry, or else-"

"Lucy! Oh, Virgo! Quick! Take her!" Lucy quickly climbed off of the bed and sped down the hall and into the living room. Erza was panting, and in Virgo's arms was a small pink haired girl fast asleep. "Did you find anything?"

"Loki found the antidote. Where's Gray, or Natsu?" Lucy drew herself closer towards her friends with Loki on her tail. Erza shook her head.

"He's somewhere in the creek. He could possibly be anywhere at the moment. Right now we need to catch up with Gray. He should be on his way here." The three women nodded.

"Virgo. Would you stay here with Loki and watch for these two? We don't want anyone getting close."

"Lucy, I'm going with you." Loki's voice was determined and firm, but Lucy didn't even turn her head in his direction.

"You are the last line of defense. If I can't trust you, than who can I?" she replied. Erza looked confused at the zodiac and his master, but didn't say a thing. There were more serious matters at hand that needed to be dealt with. These kind of things can wait a while.

"You know you don't have enough energy to conger up another spirit Lucy. I'll protect you." She turned to Erza, not saying another word. The red head began to feel the growing tension in the room. It was becoming unnerving, and they were loosing precious time just standing there.

"I didn't summon you. Both of you came on your own accord." Lucy spat out, not daring to look towards anyone else.

"Well, Gray should at least have made it towards the edge of the village, if not, he's probably still wandering around lost." She sprinted out the door, followed by the blond and her spirit. "I'll this side of town, you take the other, and we'll meet back here." Lucy nodded as she sprinted towards her end.

"Loki, you search that side of the street, I'll search this side. We'll cover more ground." Loki nodded in agreement, although he had a doubt that she only did it to give some space between the two of them. Either way, they needed to find Gray and fast.

* * *

Gray made it to the open field, only to see havoc lingering everywhere. It smelt like the earth itself was dieing. Burnt patches were every where, and chucks of ground were strewn around the empty piece of land. Gray searched the land, but no sign of the red head any where. "She must already be back in town…" he muttered. Gray created an ice tower, climbing it quickly to the height of the trees. He could see the village from this point, and skimming the horizon, he could see the towns people scurrying unnaturally around it's streets. Something was going on, and he needed to find out. Maybe the others warned them of Natsu…

He slid down, taking one quick glance over the field, taking another mental picture just in case. The burnt plant life, the clear creek, the unnaturally turn up soil, and the fact no life didn't seem to exist here. An ugly picture he would have burned in his mind until they solved this dilemma

As he neared the direction of the village, some uneasy feeling began to climb his spine. It was an odd feeling…He's only felt this way only a few times before, when he was in serious danger. He slowed his pace to a walk, and then slowly to a stop.

The feeling was undoubtedly stronger. There had to be a reason for it. But, once he looked around: nothing. Everything a half a mile back was green again, and the forest was still standing.

There just had to be something wrong! It was pissing Gray off to no end; the way his senses were burning with the instinct to just run the hell out of this place, the fact there was no signs of life any where near here, or the fact he couldn't sense Natsu's magic any more. He took a quick swipe of his vision over the empty land once more. Nothing was making sense…

His ears picked up a strange trickling sound coming from the creak behind him. He slowly turned his gaze to the muddy water.

His mental image popped into mind….the water was naturally clear. Why would it suddenly turn muddy? He moved his gaze up and down it's bank. The water was clear on both ends…something was here.

"Natsu?" Gray whispered to himself.

Suddenly, like a water torpedo, a blur of pink fury exploded out of the water with steam and fire surrounding it. A loud piercing screech filled the valley, making Gray clamp his ears. "NATSU!" the ice mage yelled. He slowly began to fall to his knees, the sound waves ultimately sending harsh vibes throughout his body. "Dammit! Stop this!" he yelled.

Natsu landed on the ground with a thud, fire pouring from what seemed like every inch of his body. A wicked smile encrusted on the dragon's lips as he took closer to the weakened man.

Gray began to shake uncontrollably as he attempted to stand. The flames grew even larger around Natsu's body as he watched his 'nakama' struggle to keep his balance on his feet.

"Ice Make: Crystal Sword!" Gray smashed his right fist on his open palm, and suddenly a long thick piece of ice shot out from his right hand. "Natsu! Don't do this! This isn't you!" Gray pleaded. The dragon only wound up a fist, and instantly thrust it in Gray's direction.

Gray was quick to react, blocking the flamed fist with his sword, but unfortunately the flames were too much, and his fist just barely made it through. Natsu opened his fist, and attempted to grab the mage's head. Gray instantly let go, stumbling back before landing on his ass. He watched in horror, as even larger flames engulfed his arm, melting the sword within seconds. The boy's wicked smile never fading.

"No…" Gray mouthed, sliding away from his once nakama.

_No…he is my nakama. Natsu Drageneel is my friend. This…this monster inside of him is turning us against each other. I need to stop him_. The monster took another step towards him, his bloodlust rising within him. Once more, Gray attempted to stand, and this time he had a better balance.

"Come on hot head. Show me what your made of."

* * *

It felt as though all they were doing was just going around and around in circles. Neither party could sense Gray's power within the village, so they met up back with each other at Sachi's house.

Lucy's heart was sinking lower, into her stomach. She felt so useless, and after everything Loki had done to cheer her up, this is how she ends up feeling like: shit.

"He has to be some where. I'm sure he just got lost in the forest." Happy chimed in optimistically. His over enthusiasm wasn't very much appreciated at the moment.

"No…he would have made it out by now. Maybe he's still looking for Erza?" Loki said thoughtfully. Both guild members shook their heads.

"No. He would have figured out by now that I wasn't there."

"Maybe he's been found by Natsu..." whispered Lucy. She had been squatting with her arms thrown about her knees, hiding her face from view.

"How dare you say such a thing! Gray is too full of himself. He wouldn't let a guy like Natsu spoil his reputation now would he?" Erza spat out distastefully. She sighed, realizing that Lucy's sobs were annoyingly increasing. "Lucy. Come on now. We don't have enough time to be crying like that! We need to find Natsu as soon as possible, give him the antidote, and find Gray! But we just can't do that if we're just sitting here doing nothing like pansies."

"But there is a chance you know!" the blond snapped her head up, her eyebrows narrowed and her eyes were swollen from the tears. "There is always a chance that the worst can possibly happen, and right now, that chance seems to be a pretty big margin." she spat out, standing up. She stomped towards Erza, shoving a finger at her mail. "And sometimes that dark thought is reality! Face it! All we know is that Gray was last seen in the forest, Natsu was last seen in the water, we're out here standing like a bunch of idiots, wonder where our damned nakama have run off to!" Lucy shoved her forehead against the red heads, her voice still extremely loud. "Now, are you just going to sit here and think of a plan while that dark percentage could become a reality, or are you just going to sit here like Happy eating fish!" Lucy sharply snapped her opposite hand towards the blue cat, who was at the moment gnawing on a fish. "Because to hell that I can."

Lucy began to walk away to the opposite side of the road towards an ally.

"Wait a second! You can't just blame me for sitting here! I wasn't the one curled up in a ball crying her eyes out!" Erza yelled back at Lucy.

Lucy suddenly stopped, and turned towards Titana. "Well, at least when I was sitting there, I was actually worrying about that small percentile, and all the other possibly horrible things that could have happened, instead of the hopeful things that we wished in life. But now, I'm acting on it. I don't want to be useless anymore." Lucy continued her rampage towards the outskirts of the city. Loki took a deep breath standing next to the warrior.

"She has point you know. Not all bad situations get better." Loki gave an apologetic look before running after his master.

Erza stood there speechless.

_…am I turning soft hearted? Wishing that everyone is safe?_ she looked down at her hand, slowly turning it into a fist. "Wait Lucy. I'm coming."

_Soft heartedness isn't always a bad thing. But I guess in this situation, it really does call to be realistic._

* * *

**Once again I apologize, but I promise it won't take me a year to upload another chapter! But since I've started school again, I'm trying to find a routine with my fanfics as well. So please, the ones who have read this and liked it, i am greatly sorry and to those just joining, please enjoy!**

**DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!**

**Loki's Angel is outta here!**


	8. Useless

**Time is Changing**  
**By: MEEEE~ :D :D**

**DX DX DX I had such a horibble writers block! I am so sorry! I would type a little every now and then, but FINALLY the ideas and inspiration I had when i finished my last chapter CAME BACK! Mainly because there have been a lot of people liking this story! 3 3 to you I owe my thanks! ^^ 3 I luvs you guys!**

**Well this is CHAPTER 8 please enjoy! 3**

**Chapter 8: Useless**

* * *

Lucy stormed through the tiny village, earning curious glares from everyone she passed. She would wipe away her tears with her arm, but it didn't stop her sobs from coming. It seemed that nothing could at this moment. Loki had attempted to make her happy, saying a few encouraging words, but Lucy just ignored them as she stomped towards the edge of the forest. Erza followed close behind, but she refused to gain any more distance; Lucy seemed ready to strike at any moment, and she didn't want to be the target. It's not because Lucy could beat her. Everyone knew how strong Erza was; she would easily win. Erza just didn't want to be in even deeper on Lucy's bad side.

Happy sat on Loki's shoulder, having caught up with the fearsome group, in order to lend a some what helpful hand.

Lucy suddenly froze in her tracks. She felt odd vibrations emitting from the forest. Random powerful surges would swipe over the land, making the mages feel uneasy. Lucy slowly turned her face to Loki, who was staring off into the distance. She nodded, continuing forward at a fast sprint. "Hey! Lucy! Where are you going so fast?" Happy called out, spreading his wings, and flapped them until he reached Lucy.

"What does it look like I'm dong? I'm going to find whatever this…_energy_ is. It's not natural." She wiped away one more tear before smiling. "Besides…it might be Natsu." she looked up at Happy, giving him a small smile of hope. "We can't let this opportunity slip, can we?" Happy nodded, landing on Lucy's head. Not soon after, Loki was on her tail, along with Erza.

* * *

Gray flipped backwards, digging his ice-made knife into the ground to stop his skidding. His breaths were deep and fast. His pulse was racing as sweat and blood dripped from almost every other inch on his body. _Damn it Natsu…why aren't you falling?_ Gray thought loudly to himself. Nothing was working. Not even freezing him, which unfortunately took up most of his energy. He had been able to dodge most of the dragon's attacks, but from the cuts on his body, his reactions had been getting slower and slower, until Natsu was doing some critical damage.

He, at the moment, only had the full use of his right arm, and right leg. He had believed that he had sprained his left ankle, but compared to the rest of his body, it was something he could deal with.

His body was becoming limp and warn out as the battle wore out. Unfortunately, it seemed as though it had the opposite effect on Natsu.

The fireball gave out a loud battle cry towards the sky before he slowly turned his fiery gaze towards his prey. He took a step closer, the earth burning beneath his foot. Gray attempted to stand, but a sharp pain in his chest restricted his movement otherwise. He cringed as he gently pressed his fingers against his rib cage.

"Damn it Natsu…you broke a rib or two…Master won't be too happy when hears that I can't do missions for a while. Oh well." he sighed, gripping his chest with his hands as he stood, unfortunately enduring the pain. "I think I only have one more attempt at this…let's just hope I make it…" he muttered to himself. He took in several deep breaths before curling his left hand into a fist. He took an offensive stance, the meanwhile the dragon continued his slow advance.

With a swift movement, he slammed his hand onto his open right palm. "ICE-MAKE! FROZEN DUNGEON!" Gray called out with all his being. He focused all of his attention towards one point on Natsu's body, and aimed his magic at it.

Slowly, ice began to form around Natsu's head. Natsu pause to take notice to the chilling sensation that his prey was creating.

The ice formed a perfect sphere about 5 ft in diameter around the pinkette's head, quickly growing even larger. Natsu began to sway from being so top-heavy. He placed his hands on the sphere, and began to melt the ice.

But his hands weren't fast enough.

He made it half way to his head until the ice from the sphere began to spread down his body, enclosing his arms, and quickly spread to the feet, creating a similar sphere on each foot. Natsu began to sway, his body not being able to support the weight.

And sure enough, Natsu toppled over.

Gray collapsed to his knees, staring in disbelief. "I…I did it…" he muttered.

"Gray!" he heard off into the distance. He slowly turned his head to see Lucy, Loki, Happy, and Erza sprinting in his general direction. The ice mage gave a wide smile, but it faded in an instant as he collapsed face first into the soft earth. "GRAY!"

* * *

He felt as though he was on fire. His blood felt like lava was coursing throughout his body: extremely hot, and was singeing his internal organs.

He couldn't think straight, in fact, he couldn't tell if he was even thinking at all…it was as though everything drew a blank since he was in so much pain. But, his body acted on the pain. If the blood was cooler when it entered his hand, he would move his hand as much as possible before it grew to extreme measures again.

So his body was constantly at different temperatures, which was driving his mind insane.

But…the thing was, he was used to the flames, but none of this _magnitude_.

He could remember seeing nothing, but now and then, he would recall a Nakama's face, only to have it fade back to the recesses of his mind.

Natsu could feel extremely cold _something_ touching him. And that _something_ was the only thing he focused on. Now and then that chilling something would move along what he thought was his body, and suddenly it would grow even colder, slowly spreading, and slowly making everything feel like ice. It was an odd sensation to describe, if only he could tell what it really was.

"_Natsu _…" A voice would echo in the vast space of darkness that his once so called 'mind' claimed. The voice echoed before quickly dying off at what seemed a far distance. _"Natsu! Can you hear….?" can you hear? Can you hear? __Can you hear?_

_Yeah, of course I can hear you…Lucy…_ his own thoughts echoed. Wait…his own thought? That shouldn't be right…he wasn't able to hear his own voice in the dark space for what? How long _has_ it been, since he first saw his favorite blonde's smile, his best friend gnawing on some yummy fish, or his _frienemy_ chilling in the sun completely stripped of all but shorts? How long had he been shrouded in darkness?

It had been too long.

"_Oh…Natsu…won't you please wake up?"_ cried a sad voice.

_I'm trying…if only I had a little fire…_

Slowly, the cold began to disappear from what felt like some part of his body, and where it was coming from, he couldn't tell. He just felt _tingly_ all over. The kind of tingly you get when your foot falls asleep.

But, he felt the boundaries of his body. He could tell where the tips of his fingers were, where his feet were, and even where his belly button was. And slowly, he managed to move. In what direction, and how was a different problem on its own. Even though he couldn't see his body, he knew that he was going. Going some where away from the dark.

* * *

Lucy was given the antidote. All others watched cautiously towards him, just in case he intended to melt the ice and attack. Lucy had a feeling though, that the real Natsu was trying to escape. To break free of the ice, and be able to laugh and eat and sleep and do all kinds of odd things he loved to show off. A small smile graced Lucy's lips. Although it seemed to be difficult, it turned out to be just the opposite; joining Fairy Tail that is. And to think, this motion sick-hyperactive-fun loving-flame eating man was the one who greeted her first with his famous contagious smile.

"Lucy, you must do it quick." Erza urged. She had tended to Gray's wounds, and was waiting for Natsu to take them back to the house hold.

"Yeah…sorry." Lucy whispered. Choking down the rest of her happy tears, she searched for a vein in Natus's arms, and once she spotted one, she instantly inserted the needle, shooting in the antidote.

The only response was his twitching. It was hard to tell with his head frozen in a huge sphere of ice. But, after a while, his limps loosened, and it was safe to assume that Natsu had been knocked out unconscious.

Lucy fell to her knees in relief. Only the holy spirits new what could happen if the ice had melted. If Gray had difficulty, Lucy was sure that they would have had a terrible time trying to get Natsu back to normal.

* * *

"Thank you Loki. That will be fine for now." Lucy said calmly, her eyes never leaving her two wounded friends. They were on the train back home, in a booth so they could lay down the two mages until they reached their home. Back to Fairy Tail.

Lucy had taken a seat on the floor under the window, and now and then she would turn her head side to side to take in what damage was done to her nakama.

Loki sat down the bottles of water he had fetched for Lucy and himself. Every ten minutes, Loki got up and fetched something for someone, whether it was water, to soaking towels for the mages' foreheads, to toothpicks. He wanted to comfort Lucy, tend to her needs. An unhappy Lucy was like standing in the pouring rain in the dark. And Loki felt as though he was in the middle of a Tsunami.

"Are you sure Lucy?" Loki asked, unsure that he would even earn a reply.

As she turned her head, she momentarily paused, staring at him before continued to stare at Natsu.

_All passengers, we will be arriving at Copper Station here shortly. Please remain in your booth until the train stops for your own safety. Thank you for choosing Hermes express._

Lucy sighed, leaning her head back onto the wall. "Master isn't going to be too thrilled about hearing what had happened." she whispered, her lips barely moving.

"Master won't care about that Lucy. As long as you returned safe, that is all he could ever ask for." Loki said reassuringly. He placed a hand on hers, caressing it gently. "he will be glad that all of us are safe."

Lucy gave a small smile, but it didn't seem to stay on her emotionless face long.

The horn of the train blew loudly, ringing through both of their ears. The train slowly began its descend to the station, it's wheels screeching against the metal rails of the track. Loki sighed as he stood, not liking the…_feeling_ of atmosphere. Depression and blood seemed to cling to the air like an old odor. This didn't feel like the bright master he had learned to love and cherish. He offered her a hand and a genuine smile as the train came to a complete stop. "Come on. Let's go home."

Home. That managed to bring a smile to her lips, a bigger one than last, but a still considerably small smile. She took the spirit's hand and stood up brushing herself. "Ok Loki. Let's go home."

They were unexpectantly greeted with whoops and hollers as the three men and Lucy came through the guild. Some called out for Gray's triumph, while the others were cheering on Natsu's amazing skills. None of which made Lucy feel any better about herself. _Why are they cheering? Don't they know that they almost _died. _Sometimes these people are idiots._ Lucy thought.

"There are two beds in the back if you want to set them there Loki." Mire-san called out from behind her counter. Master sat next to her on the counter, a stern look placed perfectly on his aged face. He had his arms and legs crossed, so Lucy knew he was thinking of something, but of what Lucy could not tell. She felt a heavy weight on her shoulders as she sat down across from the white haired bartender. "hello master." she sighed, leaning her chin on her palm, staring at nothing in particular.

"Hello Lucy." was his only reply. He sounded reasonably calm, but for some reason, it felt as though he was _angry_ at something. Lucy only hoped it wasn't her.

"Erza will be returning soon. Happy, Virgo and-"

"I am perfectly aware of the situation Lucy." he interrupted. Lucy straightened up, her gaze on the guild's master. He grunted a little, and Mira-san instantly placed a cool glass of root beer onto the counter for him. Without turning, he grabbed the glass and chugged it down, half of it spilling onto his shirt. Lucy sweat dropped. Her master always surprised him.

"Than…you know of our failure…" Lucy said, pain filling her chest. It felt horrible. It felt as though she let down her whole guild. Her family. Master grunted again, but this time he leapt from the counter, his hands instantly falling behind his back.

"Come with me Lucy…and you too Loki." Loki was just about to sit down next to Lucy, which she had failed to notice. They both followed the short man silently as they went back to a small room, where two cots were set up, and the two sleeping mages laid. Lucy's eyes instantly began to fiddle back and forth between them, the same way she looked at them while they were on the train. Loki watched as the old man hopped onto a chair that sat in the middle between the two lads, and gazed up at them. "Please sit down. I would like to talk." he said calmly.

Depression was weighing Lucy even further down, to the point where she thought her heart would fall out of her chest. Loki couldn't stand to see his partner like this. She had never been so vulnerable looking in her life. Even when she blamed herself for the attack on Fairy Tail.

"Lucy I understand how you are feeling right now, and you don't need to be ashamed." Makarov stated, his tense face now relaxed. "You may feel like you could have done more and you feel as though you should be the one they depend on." Lucy clutched her hands into a fist in her lap, trying to fight back the tears. "I wish I could tell you everything is ok, but you saw what had happened, and it was as scary as hell."

Loki's gaze drifted to the small blonde next to him. He saw her shake, whether from frustration, or from the silent sobs, he could not tell. He gently placed a hand onto her right shoulder, bringing her closer to him for comfort.

"Lucy, this mission was not a complete waste of time. You-" Makarov said, a slight upbeat to his voice.

"Waste of time?" Lucy said through watery eyes. "Of course it wasn't a waste of time! We had a mission, we were trying to help someone else out. But…I…I." she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "I, myself, was useless. I couldn't help any one, I got lost, and almost _died_…and Gray…" she sobbed. The tears kept falling, and no matter how many times she tried to wipe away the tears, there was always more. "And I'm sure Erza did more than her share of fighting, and Loki protected me…he always protects me…." She pulled her knees to her chest, tears falling down her thighs.

"Lucy…" Loki began, but he instantly shut his mouth tight. Lucy was heartbroken at the moment, and he knew he wouldn't be able to cheer her up, at least not for now.

"Now, Lucy, you are an excellent mage, and you have your own unique talents. Sure, it may not be combat fighting, but you are optimistic and very intelligent." Master said, his voice calm and soothing, but it wasn't enough to pierce through to her ears.

She suddenly got up and walked out of the room without a word. She needed to calm down some, as far enough from this place as she could so she could think.

"Lucy! Wait!" Loki called out, standing up immediately.

"Loki…" said Makarov, with a slight edge to his voice. "Tell me, do you think that Lucy will be safe on her own?"

Loki stood with his back to the old man. "yes. I believe in her."

"That is all then." Loki nodded, quickly escaping through the door. And then all grew quiet once more. The old man felt some what responsible for this. He had originally offered it to Lucy, and only Lucy. He wanted to see how far up the ranks she would go. But of course, Natsu had to over hear, and then they were off without a warning.

It was not like Makarov didn't think Lucy wasn't _capable_ of such a low rank mission, no far from it. But, again, he wanted to see what she could do…how fast she was able to complete the mission, her tactics, the usual. He did this only to the ones he knew had the greatest potential. He had once attempted the same thing with Natsu and Grey, but they were so predictable, it was scary. Of course with time they progressed, but all in all, they were the same two knuckle heads he accepted into his family.

The old man grunted once more, and began to twist a side of his mustache with thought.

_Yes…Lucy has fine potential…but the question is, will she be able to reach it?_

* * *

Lucy stumbled into her apartment, throwing open the door. No one greeted her with an enthusiastic grin, or a delighted cheer. No one was lying across her floor, napping until she arrived. No blue cats flying around, teasing the salamander with some delicious fish. No nudists had made themselves comfortable on her living room couch with a glass of iced water.

No happiness.

No depression.

Just the emptiness made its presence known.

She barely touched the door, it softly swinging on its hinges as it attempted to close shut, letting a crack of sunlight through. She collapsed onto her soft blankets, bouncing lightly before she settled on the mattress.

She ran out of tears on the way home, so all she was running on was a horrible feeling in her stomach. She dared to think of the last several days. It only made the feeling worse. She wanted to do something, anything to keep her mind off of the stresses of the guild. She thought of earning a few extra Jewels for next months rent…but then she thought of jobs that were on the bulletin board before she had excepted the last job offer, and so she stopped thinking of that. She needed _something_ to keep her mind off of the stress, off the guild…off her friends.

"Lucy?" The said blond slowly turned her head in the door's general direction, and there stood her Leo. The lion crept closer, his eyes watching her closely.

"Hi…" she replied rather quietly, too quiet for his liking.

"Lucy…I was wondering…would you like to go outside?" he offered a hand out for her to take.

"Why would I? It's too bright out…" she complained, turning her head in the opposite direction facing the wall.

"Lucy…I know you've been down since we've been back…so let's just go for a walk and relax a little please?"

"I am relaxing, and I'm having fun…" she said. No hint of inflection to her voice.

"Please Lucy…do this for me." she closed her eyes, turning on her right side so her back faced him

"Too late, I'm already asleep." Loki stifled a chuckle.

"Then let me put you to bed…"

"I'm already-LOKI!" Loki had picked her up around the waist, and tossed her onto his shoulder, spinning on his heel and out the door. "Loki! Put me down now!" She yelled as she pounded away at his back.

"too late!" was his only reply as he sped down the street, curious eyes staring as they passed by.

"Loki! Put me down this instant!"

"Want me to put you down right here?"

"Yes! Right now."

"ok…if you insist." He came to a complete stop before he slid her off of his shoulder and stepped back to watch her fume.

"Loki! You know better than to do that to someone! Especially me! I was perfectly fine in my bed!" she growled, crossing her arms. Loki, to her surprise, threw back his head and let a out loud joyful laugh. "What is so funny! Take me back home this instant!"

"I'm sorry, but you look so cute when you get angry." he teased. She instantly snapped her head away, a light red blush lighting her cheeks.

"Whatever, just get me home, please?" She finally took a glimpse at where they were.

They were at the docks. The ocean was placid for miles and miles, it's blue hue glimmering in the late afternoon sun. Seagulls flew over head, it's call blending in with the sounds of the waves brushing against the shores. Lucy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The smell of sea salt and fresh air filled her senses, clearing a little of her complicated life. And after what felt like forever…Lucy smiled, opening her eyes to see the beautiful scenery.

"I used to come here a lot…before I was allowed back to the plain…it reminds me, not all things in life have are violent," Loki reached down, grabbing a loose piece of wood and tossed it into the water. "Yet not all things remain peaceful."

Lucy walked to the edge of the dock and plopped down, slipping off her shoes, and dipping her toes into the chilled water. It felt good to have the water running through her toes. It reminded her of her mother, when they used to play in their fountain for hours on end.

She felt his warm body slide against hers as he sat down next to her on the dock. "You know Lucy…you don't have to go through life alone. Some problems, you need to learn to share the blame…but with a situation-"

"I'm not an idiot Loki." she rudely interrupted. Her eyes starting to sting once more. "I know it wasn't just my fault…but I feel like I have to take some responsibility. It doesn't feel right if I have to blame Natsu in his state of mind…" Lucy hugged herself, as though trying to physically hold back the tears and the emotions tied together. "I felt as though…that putting me at fault was all I could do."

With swift movements, Loki embraced his young master. Her tears dotting his jacket under her chin. "You are not alone…" Loki whispered in her ear.

The words…they sounded comforting. But, were they true? She felt empty enough…

But the way he held her. It _felt_ right. The perfect amount of warmth emitting from his body, was spiraling through herself, slowly, but surely warming her heart.

"Loki…?" Lucy whispered.

"Yes Lucy?"

The young mage smiled, a single tear on each of her cheeks streaked her face as she leaned into the frame of her companion. "Thank you…" She closed her eyes, imagining her nakama's friendly smiles, especially her favorite flame eater. _I will save them, the way they saved me…_Lucy's mind echoed, and she felt herself drift into sweet oblivion.

* * *

**Oh thank you again my lovely viewers! 3 I hope you enjoyed this lovely little installment of TIME IS CHANGING! GAHHH! this pairing makes me happy! I wanted it a little longer, but I felt that was the perfect place to end our chapter!**

**Until we meet again**

**Loki's Angel! XD XD**


	9. My Spirit Savior

**Time is Changing  
By: MEEE! ^w^**

**well hello there! Oh my this is the ninth chapter of this little story! Some chapters were shorter in the beginning, but I hope I've made them a little longer for your enjoyment XD XD**

**Warning, this is rated M :D :D :D But, now hopefully it will get a little more graphic XB and I do not own these characters. If i did...well there would be no fairy tail :( **

**Well, I don't have much to say except sorry for the grammer/spelling errors if I hadn't caught them and thank you for those who've been reading this story! ILOVESYOUALL!**

**Chapter 9: My Spirit Savior**"Mira-san!" called out Lucy. She slowly walked into the building. Mira caught sight of her and smiled.

* * *

"They've been waiting for you, but be careful. Erza isn't in a happy mood at the moment." she warned, setting out some more drinks for the guild members. Lucy nodded, running past the tables, and jumping over a few drunk men before sprinting down the small hallway. She ran until she reached the end of the hall before kicking open the back door and running back into the warm breeze. There in a wheelbarrow, was Natsu and Gray, who was all bandaged, were yelling at Erza who was sprinting as fast as she could in little circles around the open space.

But, as soon as Erza saw Lucy, she came to a sudden halt, tipping Gray and Natsu out of the barrow and onto the ground. She wiped her brow before placing a hand on her hip. "Hey there Lucy. Ready?" she greeted. In an instant Erza's body was covered in a bright light before it dimmed. She had changed into a bikini and sun glasses.

"Erza!" cried out Natsu. He was being crushed by Gray who was struggling himself to stand. His left ankle had healed, but his right arm and leg were still in casts. Most of his cuts had healed and all was left were the deeper gashes. Natsu was completely fine, but at the moment, he was attempting to get over his motion sickness. "Ugh…" he moaned, his cheeks puffing out, as though he was about to vomit. Happy swooped down, grabbing Gray's trunks and pulled him into the air and back into the wheelbarrow.

"What the hell was that for!" Gray shrieked, shaking his good hand towards Erza.

Lucy chuckled to herself. It made her feel so much more alive seeing the two of them acting like nothing happened. Gray caught her eye and gave her a warming smile. "Natsu?" Happy called out. All four of them turned to see Natsu sprinting to the nearest bush, and barfing up the buffet he had accumulated in his stomach for breakfast. After a few seconds he turned around and took in a deep breath before letting it out.

"That feels better." he patted his stomach. "Lucy! Let's go!" As he sprinted past, he managed to grab her wrist and pull her so hard she came off her feet.

"Natsu!" she cried out, almost hitting a pole as they pasted the guild in a dead sprint. She glanced back to see Gray smirking as Erza was catching up.

"Oh no you don't!" Gray yelled urging Erza onward. Happy managed to snag a spot at the front of the wheelbarrow and was cheering on Erza.

Natsu too glanced back and gave Lucy a toothy smile. "Ready Lucy?" he called out.

"Ready for WHA!" In the midst of running, he yanked on Lucy so they were side by side. He quickly swung an arm under her legs and scooped her up so he carried her bridal style.

She could feel her cheeks bursting with heat. Natsu was a very sporadic person. And she never thought that he would do something like this.

That thought quickly changed when he flipped her over his head so she laid across his shoulders. "NATSU!" she cried out. He probably hadn't realized it, but she was wearing one of her cute short skirts, and she hadn't changed into her bathing suit yet. With her left hand, she managed to place her hand on her ass so the wind wouldn't blow up her skirt. "Natsu! Why?" she cried out. She looked back at Erza for support, but she was into the race as much as the boys were. She sweat dropped. Of course. She just has to be the only girly one here.

With a few sharp turns, and a giant leap from Natsu, they had made it to their destination. From the sound of the seagulls, and the sight of the cement vanished, Lucy could tell they were at the beach. Natsu jumped for joy, and as he threw back his head, he whacked it into Lucy's side, which was probably bruised at this point. He gently sat her down on the ground, and brushed her off. "There ya go Lucy! Good as new!" he said cheerfully. She sighed. There was no point in nagging Natsu. Sometimes he was just too innocent for his own good.

He spun on his right foot until he was facing Erza and Gray who were up on the street above. He slammed down his left foot and thrust his left arm towards them with an evil smile. "I won the bet!" he declared. He threw back his head and released a very loud cry of laughter.

Erza scooped up Gray bridal style, who greatly protested. "Erza! This isn't manly!" he complained. With swift feet, she landed in the sand next to Natsu.

"Alright then." she replied, her face flat. In an instant, she dropped her arms, making Gray land unbalanced. He began to hop to try and balance himself out, but the loose sand beneath him moved beneath his foot, and eventually tripping him. He growled as Happy had to help him out again.

"So what was the bet this time?" Lucy asked as she placed her backpack on the ground. She grabbed her towel and rolled it out on the sand.

"Whoever lost has to do my bidding!" Natsu cried out in laughter again. Happy joined him as he landed on Natsu's head.

"Tell them to get me a fish." Happy said, patting the pinkette's hair. Natsu smiled, an evil thought occurring in his mind.

"Get us 20 fish. By the end of this trip. And all must be caught in the ocean…" Happy jumped into the air and flew in circles around the dragon before picking him up by the back of his shirt, lifting him into the air.

"That's no fair!" Gray cried out, shaking his fist. Erza only shook her head, a smile creeping on her face. No one could stay angry at them. No one. Not even the most serious of people. Lucy sighed as she began to grab random things from her bag. Reaching in the last time, she heard the familiar jingle of her keys, and snatched them out.

They glimmered in the afternoon sun, each silver and gold key swaying with the small sea breeze. She sighed, smiling at each one of them as she flipped through them. This was a small vacation after…well the mission. No one had spoken of it. No one dared to think about it. We continued on with life as though it was any other day.

She finally stopped at Leo's key. Loki's key. She squeezed the key in her hand, remembering all the times he was willing to save her. He risked his life every time he appeared from the spirit plane. She clutched the key close to her, closing her eyes, her heart beginning to race a little faster than usual. _This key is-_

"LUCY! LOOK!" called out Natsu. The blond mage's thought broke as soon as she opened her eyes.

She watched as Happy was flying around with Gray who seemed very upset with the fact that Happy had to carry him by his trunks yet again. Erza had summoned a spear, tossing yet another fish onto the dock where Natsu placed them into a fishing net with one of the biggest grins he could muster.

She too smiled, grabbing her bathing suit from her bag. "I'll be right there!" she called out. At the edge of the beach there was a row of changing tents. As she headed towards the beach, she noticed the only sound that she could hear, besides her nakama behind her, was the sound of the ocean waves crashing along the edge of the beach.

That was odd. It was the middle of summer, and the beach was empty. She contemplated the thought as she quickly changed into her bathing suit. She slipped on her sunglasses as she made her way towards their encampment, the odd feeling eating away at her brain. _Why does this feel so odd?_ she repeated the thought over and over. Her mind unsure of what and why she was acting this way. She looked around, looking everywhere. _This feeling….it isn't a good one… I don't like this…_

She sighed setting her clothes back into her bag, "I guess I'm still a little stressed…" she muttered, grabbing the sunscreen. "Summer Vacation, here I come!" she exclaimed as she ran towards the others.

* * *

The evening passed, the sun past the horizon, and the twinkling stars took their place. They sat around a campfire, the newly caught fish from the hot afternoon just before hand cook wondrously next to the fire on sticks. Happy took the liberty of eating a few fish raw as he waited impatiently for the fish to cook. Gray used Lucy's lap as a pillow as he relaxed in the soft sand, while Natsu was drooling over the all the assortments of fish along the fires. Erza went happily sharpening her spear now and then checking the fish to see if they were done.

"It has been a _long_ day." Lucy sighed, smiling with her eyes drifting towards the stars.

"But it sure was fun!" chimed the blue cat, swallowing the last of his raw fish. "I thought the part of dropping Gray into the ocean was the best." Natsu burst out laughing, joining in the cat's small merry laughter. Gray growled, sitting up with a raised fist.

"Well _I _didn't think it was so funny you dumb cat." He bickered.

"Hey, don't call Happy a dumb cat!" Natsu barked back, his laughter died as fast as it had started.

"Yeah! I'm not a dumb cat!"

"Ok, ladies, settle down." Erza said, raising her voice so she could be heard over the boys. "The fish are done." With a flash her spear disappeared, only to be replaced by a fish on a stick. Natsu quickly turned and nabbed three. One for Happy and two for himself. Lucy had reach and grab two for Gray and herself.

They quietly ate their fish, besides Natsu and Happy who munched loudly. All seemed rather calm with the Ocean as the background music play gently behind them.

They each ate their share of fish until it was all consumed. The fire slowly died out as the wind picked up a little.

"Well, we better head out Gray, I have an early mission." Erza announced as she helped Gray to his left foot. She slung his left arm over her shoulder, helping him up to the wheelbarrow that was still parked on the street.

"Lucy, are you coming?" asked Happy who fluttered until he sat upon Natsu's shoulder like a parrot.

The blond shook her head. "No, I don't live that far away. I'll still be a while."

Little did she know, her fire eater could sense the strange feelings emitting from the Celestial summoner. He watched as her only motion was to turn her head up to face the stars. "Ok, we'll see you tomorrow Lucy!" Natsu said enthusiastically as he scurried up to the road and out of sight.

Lucy could feel his presence diminishing as he ran towards his home in the woods. At last, she was finally alone. Taking in a deep breath of sea air, she felt her body truly relaxing. She laid down, and using her rolled up towel as a headrest, she gazed up at the sky, staring up at the millions of bright twinkling stars above her. She raised a hand, and with one finger, she began to play connect the dots. "There's the Dragon…and there's Orion, and there's Gemini!" she giggled to herself as she pulled out her set of keys once more. In the small moonlight, they still seemed to shine brightly. She sat up, looking at each key with depth, remembering.

Memories that would last her a life time.

She attached the keys to her bikini bottoms before pulling on her jacket. Slowly, as she buttoned the jacket, she began to feel that odd sensation again. _This…this feeling…I better get out of here…_

Swiftly, she placed the towel back in her bag and threw in onto her shoulders. The odd creeping feeling now was tingling her spine. Her heart beat was erratic as she slowly turned around, afraid of what she might see. From what she could tell, there was nothing there. But, as she turned around, there it stood.

A tall dark shadow against the whiteness of the sand.

And it was coming closer.

Her body began to shake, her palms growing sweaty as she stumbled backwards at the now speeding shadow. Turning, she began to run down the beach, the feeling paralyzing her even further. _Don't turn around…Don't turn around!_ her mind chanted, but her mind felt disconnected from her body.

She quickly glanced back, her shadow now had a more defined form. It was a tall figure, but she could tell it was a figure of a very built man.

Who was quickly covering the distance between them. She turned back around in time to find the stairs that lead up to the street above. She pushed her body as fast as it could up the steps and down the street.

She could now hear the eerie footsteps of her stalker. _Scream for help! Some! Anyone! NATSU!_ her head screamed. But, her throat was dry, and her body was beginning to slow down.

"Fairy…Tail…" She muttered. That place…there had to be someone around. She could see the bright light of the guild sign above the small houses and apartment complexes as she continued down the street.

The footsteps were rapidly approaching, maybe within 20 yards of her now, but she didn't dare to look this time. She knew better.

Yet, her head turned anyway.

She could see the stalker now. He had a very malicious smile taped to his face as his dark hair covered his eyes, which she knew they were staring right at her. He wore black clothes like ones a thief would wear that cut off at the elbows and knees. And he was barefooted. She could hear his low laughter as he attempted to close the gap between them.

Lucy sharply turned left into an alley way, startling her stalker for a moment, but he was quickly to gain back the amount of distance he had lost. She just had to hope to the spirits that this turn wasn't a dead end.

She attempted to gather a large amount of air in her lungs, but her body was so exhausted from the running and fear, she could hardly even breath properly while she ran. She could feel the man's presence coming closer and closer. Her eyes began to sting as the tears began to swell in her eyes. _Not now! Pull it together!_ she told herself, but it was useless. Her throat restricted, as the tears pooled down her face. "No!" she cried out.

She had turned to the right, only to find it lead to a chain linked fence. The man was right behind her on her tail, and she could hear him struggling to reach her.

She only continued down the alley, mud and boxes slowing her escape down.

She rammed herself into the chained fence, attempting to climb, but the chains were too small for her feet. The man had stopped when he saw the chain linked fence half way down the alley. He began to laugh to himself as walked slowly towards his victim, watching as she struggled to shove her feet into the small holes for a foothold.

She spun around pressing her back as hard as she could against the fence. Her eyes were wide with terror, and her breaths were loud and music to the hunter's ears. "Lucy Heartfelia….what an honor it is to rape you this evening." the man bellowed, closing in on her. She moved slowly to a corner, pressing herself even further into the obstacles that stood in her escape.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" She cried out, the tears running down her cheeks, driving the man's urge even further.

"I will, once I've had my way with you." He stepped closer to her, creeping at a turtle's pace towards her. She held herself tightly, trying to cover her body.

"Just leave me alone…" she pleaded.

"Now, that wouldn't be fun. Now would it?" the man threw back his head manically and a loud laughter thundered from his chest. He could hear her feet slowly creep along the wall as he laughed his victory. "Where do you think your going?" He asked, snapping out his hand, and grabbing her by her wrist. He threw her against the wall, where she smacked her head hard against the brick. She crumpled to the ground grasping her head in pain.

The man swung his foot, until it dug deeply into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her rolling into the chained link. He could hear her struggling to breath as she pushed herself onto her knees. He gripped her hair, pulling her until she stood tall. He pressed his body against hers, rubbing his groin against her slender body. "Tonight, your mine." He pressed harder and harder, his erection growing with the moans that escaped her lips. The hand that wasn't gripping her hair began to pull off her jacket, and moved down to her ass, giving her a tight squeeze. "Tonight you're mine." he whispered again.

"To hell she is." the man paused, turning his head towards the chain link fence. There on the opposite side stood a short man than himself, wearing a dark suit with a matching zebra printed tie. The man tore off his sunglasses, setting them inside his jacket. "Let go of her now, or else."

The taller man took this into consideration, but instead he continued his assult on Lucy, moving this hand from her ass to his breast. She gave out a loud cry of pain, which pissed the lion off even more. "Don't get in the way, oh wait, you're on the wrong side of-" the man crouched, and suddenly disappeared. He looked about, and when he didn't see him, he glanced up just in time to have the lion's foot implanting into his face.

The larger man flew backwards 40 yards before hitting a large pile of garbage cans. Loki knelt down besides the blonde who flinched when he placed his hand gently against her cheek. She cracked open her eyes, just enough to glance up at her savior.

"…Loki…you…you came." she whispered, smiling up at the spirit. He gave her a smile as she closed her eyes shut once more.

"Don't worry Lucy, justice will be served." he whispered to her as he picked her up off the cold dirty ground.

The rapist struggled to stand on his feet, rubbing the side of his jaw. "I must admit that was a swift kick, however…" From within his shirt he unsheathed a short dagger. It's blade gleamed in the evening light as he twisted it in his hand, "you are messing with my prey." With a flash, the man disappeared again, only to reappear closer without the girl. "Regulus, give me power!" he shouted, a sudden light shined from his right hand, blinding the large man.

"What the-" with a swift punch to the gut, he once again sent the man flying, but this time, into the far wall.

There was a loud crack, and the brick behind him crumbled, landing on top of him. Loki dusted his jacket off before jumping back on top of the building on his left. There Lucy rested on a resident's cot that swung gently in the breeze.

She was out cold. Exhaustion had over come her, and she was now sleeping peacefully, despite the fact she was in so much pain. Loki scooped her in his arms once more, kissing the top of his mage's head before walking to the ledge. He glanced below at the creeper who dared to touch his woman. He was still out cold, but now the people who owned the apartment and turned on the light, and called the police. Loki spit in the man's direction before jumping across the alley and ran towards Lucy's home.

* * *

Lucy's head pounded extremely hard. She couldn't sleep, but closing her eyes seemed to dull the pain, if even a little. The air around her suddenly turned warm after she head the sound of the door shutting behind her. The arms holding her, cradled her limp body as her lion sat down on the bed. He placed a hand on her cheek, caressing the soft skin that was now dirtied. "Lucy…if you can hear me…please say anything…" he begged. His voice was filled with sadness and anger. An odd combination for Loki.

Slowly, she fluttered her eyes open to reveal her apartment. She saw the arm that held her close, and followed it upwards until she saw two bright eyes staring down at her. "Loki…you came…" she repeated, smiling weakly up at him.

"yes…I did Lucy. Just for you."

"Loki…I..I'm so happy you're here…." a tear trickled down her cheek, only to be wiped away with his thumb. "Will…will-" she was suddenly caught off but his warm lips pressed against her own. It was a slow reaction, but Lucy's own lips pressed back against his. She managed to lift a hand to his cheek, feeling his even softer skin under her finger tips.

Loki managed to control himself enough to pull away just far enough away to brush their lips. "Lucy…" he whispered her name softly. "Please…rest…"

As he slowly pulled away, Lucy felt her mind begin to cloud with so many questions and thoughts, but they all quickly disappeared as her eyes drifted shut.

* * *

**MUAHAHAHAHAHA! I hope you enjoy this chapter of Time is Changing! XP XP**

**loves you guys!XD **

**Loki's Angel!**


	10. Thinking too Much

**Time is Changing**  
**By: me!**

**I'm soooo sorry! I've been meaning to post this for a while now, but I've had shitty internet/busy/ and all those lovely lame excuses you just love to hear. ;p**

**I'm so glad people are liking this story! I'm sorry there really isn't much LucyXLoki action yet. Don't worry, after this chapter, you'll figure out you'll be seeing him pretty soon \\3\\ **

**Well, anywho, please enjoy the tenth chapter of Time is Changing! And be warned, there might be some grammer mistakes, I didn't check for errors as well as I usually do**

**Chapter 10: Thinking too much **

* * *

The sun rose the next morning behind the dark cloudy sky. It had begun to drizzle just before day break, and now the rain was pouring just a little heavier, pattering gently on Lucy's roof top as she slowly opened her eyes. The lights were off, it smelt like blood and dirt, and what was worse, is that her entire body felt stiff as a stone. She reluctantly sat up, rubbing her throbbing head. _What happened?..._ she thought as she carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed. She looked down to see her shoes were still on her feet, and her clothes were torn and tattered. What was worse was fact she remembered wearing a jacket, yet she didn't see it within sight. She slipped off her shoes and carefully stood, feeling the effects of last night's events. She made her way to a mirror and was shocked to see her reflection. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a cloth, wetting it before attempting to wipe off the dark splotches. Most of them came off, but someone of them began to hurt.

"What….what happened?" she asked, pressing her palm to her head. Nothing came to mind after the beach. Only that she was running….running from someone. It made her mind throb again, so she put it off to the back of her mind. "I…I just need to relax." She told herself. She ran the bathwater and dumped in her favorite soaps. Stripping, she stepped into the water and instantly felt the stress leave her body.

But the thoughts came back to her head. "I…I don't remember…why?" she asked confused. She grabbed her shampoo and began to lather her hair. "Why can't I remember!" she yelled. The house remained silent for the exception of popping bubbles. She finally sighed in defeat, sinking lower into the tub. "Thinking just hurts…" she complained as she dunked underwater. _Whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't a big deal…_ but something nagged her, telling her that wasn't true.

After her bath, she dressed herself for the weather, one of her favorite blue skirts, a matching white tee shirt and a warm jacket with a hood. She took one last glance in the mirror. She looked as though she had been through a fight; The bruises seemed hidden, except for several that were on her thighs. She rubbed them gently before sighing._ Do I really want to go out…looking so broken?_ She asked herself as she stared down at the noticeable skin marks. She nodded, taking in a deep breath. "I need to go to the guild. Of course nothing is wrong…I must have just fallen down on my way home…yes…" she muttered reassuringly. Of course, she didn't sound so convincing when she heard herself, but hopefully she'd be able to pull it off for the rest of her friends. Just…hopefully.

She stepped out her front door and locked it before pulling up her hood for the rain. She took her time walking down the wet sidewalks. Her mind raced with so many things, most of it pertained to the incident from last night. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she walked into the guild without noticing anyone, and giving out her usual friendly greetings. She walked straight up to the bar and sat down, sighing heavily as she propped her head up with the palm of her hand.

Mirajane glanced over in curiosity. She could easily tell something was bothering Lucy. She filled a glass with water and sent it her way, stopping with accuracy next to her hand that was lying on the bar. She made no attempt to grasp it. She only glanced upwards as in a thought before sighing again. "What's wrong Lucy? You look troubled." Mira-chan called out from behind the bar. She reached down for another glass and began to wipe it clean.

Lucy finally sat back, removing the hand from her face and turned to her, flashing her a small, but troubling smile. "It's nothing Mira-chan. I'm just…thinking…" Lucy replied. Lucy slowly turned to the rest of the guild, watching as half of the drunkards were already passed out from their early morning drinking. Mira watched as Lucy turned her head back to the ceiling in thought once more before she stood and strode towards the board.

Suddenly the doors blew open, and with a loud crash and laughter, Natsu ran in with Happy attached to his shoulder. "Morning Natsu!" Mira-chan called out with a smile. Natsu looked around, easily spotted his blonde partner at the board.

"Lucy! There you are!" Natsu called out, jumping over the tables, and landing right next to her. "Are you ready? Happy and I already have a mission in mind." He said excitedly. He pulled out a sheet of paper from what seemed out of nowhere and thrust it in Lucy's face.

"Natsu! Get that out of my face!" Lucy snapped, smacking the paper away. It fell out of his hand, and slowly fell to the floor. Natsu hesitated, staring into Lucy's eyes. Even the Salamander could tell that there was something wrong. Lucy hadn't realized she was making an evil glare straight at the boy until she could see the slight fear in Happy's eyes. She quickly composed herself before sighing. "Sorry." She muttered, bending down and picking up the paper. She glanced down at the mission sheet. It was a simple mission of sorts. A simple bodyguard job for a meat seller as he passed through the mountains for a special delivery. 20,000 Jewels. A simple job for quick cash. Natsu wouldn't have been so interested in the job if it weren't for the fact that he had to protect meat. "Are you sure you're not going to eat the meat?" she asked curiously.

Natsu's smile widened into his toothy grin as he nodded his head. "Don't worry Lucy, now come on!" He yanked on her hand, hoping she would follow along, but she didn't budge, staring intently at the paper. Going over the mountains was a rigorous task. Besides, the animals were out this time of year, and Lucy had a feeling she wouldn't be much help.

"I'm….I'm sorry Natsu. I must sit this one out." She said, handing the piece of paper to the pink haired boy. She flashed him a sad smile before passing him. "I'm just not feeling up to it. I'm sorry." And she quickly made her escape out of the guild.

"Lucy!" Natsu called out for her. Happy fluttered after her, and landed on his shoulder.

"Are you alright? You need some fish?" He asked. Lucy smiled at his offer but shook her head, continuing through the rain. Happy jumped down and ran back to Natsu, who was staring at her through the open doors of the guild.

"Shut the damn door! It's letting all the warm air out!" A drunk yelled at Natsu. But, he didn't respond. He only stared after her.

"Let's go Happy!" He said as he dashed out of the guild himself.

"Aye!"

* * *

Lucy unlocked her door before stepping inside and hanging her jacket. She turned to see Natsu and Happy sitting at her table with a kettle already brewing. "What are you doing here!" she yelled in surprise.

"We were worried about you!" Happy said as wings appeared on his back. He hopped into the air and twirled around Lucy's head. "You weren't too happy this morning, and we were worried!"

Happy landed on her shoulder and patted her head. Lucy sweatdropped. "I'm fine. Really. I've just been thinking. That's all." Natsu raised an eyebrow before giving her a toothy smile.

"Well, if that's it, than you can do the mission with us!" He said happily as he raised a backpack.

"Natsu! Why did you pack my bag!" she scurried over to him, and snagged it away. She peered inside to see what he did put in there. It was mainly food and one skirt. She smacked him across the head before tossing the bag on the couch. She took her place at the table and poured herself some tea. "I'm still not going Natsu. Can't you get Erza, or someone else to go with you?"

Natsu crossed his arms and shook his head, clearly saddened by her news. "Erza left early this morning for a different mission, and won't come back for a while-"

"Besides, she's a bully, and wouldn't let us eat the meat." Happy added as he sipped his tea.

"And no one else took the job because of the pay."

Lucy noticed that the paper was on the table next to Natsu. A guilt nagged at her heart as she stared deeply in thought at the paper. "Besides, it wouldn't much fun without Lucy, right Happy?"

"Aye!"

"Quit talking like I'm not here!" Lucy snapped. She was quick to cool down though, and again, sighed a heavy sigh before tearing her gaze away from the paper.

"Fine…." She muttered. Natsu and Happy immediately jumped in the air.

"So you'll do it?" Natsu asked as he landed in a crouch. Lucy reluctantly nodded. "Oh, by the way, the train leaves in a half an hour." He added with a goofy smile.

"What!" Lucy cried.

Natsu lifted up the paper and pointed to the bottom. "We need to get there by sundown tonight." Lucy carefully looked down and surely enough, it read, _must arrive at my location before sundown_. It was very unfortunate that the certain train they needed only made it to that town twice a day. Early in the morning, and right before sundown.

"Great. Just what I need to perk up my morning." Lucy muttered, standing up and to her bag.

"That's the spirit!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!"

Lucy grabbed a pillow from the couch and smacked the blue cat in the face. "Take your _aye_ and your butt out of my house you idiots!" Lucy barked, chasing them out of her home.

"See you at the station!" Natsu called out behind him, as he raced off into the rain. Her gaze remained at the spot Natsu disappeared before reluctantly shutting the door.

"I didn't need this…" she muttered as she leaned against the door. She pushed herself away and grabbed her bag and headed to the bedroom. "I just wanted to stay at home and relax…and think…"

* * *

"I still can't believe you managed to drag me out here." Lucy complained. She stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"Ngguh…" Natsu moaned. His head was on Lucy's lap as his head spun with motion sickness.

"It's your fault that you chose a mission that required using a train. And most likely we'll be traveling by some sort of vehicle when we protect the meat."

Natsu only moaned more. Happy sighed as he munched on his little fish. Besides the occasional vomiting from Natsu out the window, the train ride remained silent. Lucy silently wished she had brought a book along, or at least something along to keep her thoughts at bay. But, the lack of memories from the night before plagued her mind. She tried to recall anything after having this…feeling of being followed, but nothing came to mind.

Before she knew it, the train came to a stop, and Natsu was already up on his feet, grabbing Lucy by her arm. "Let's go." He muttered his face still a little green.

"Natsu! This isn't the stop!" Lucy cried out. Natsu turned to her horrified.

"It's not!"

"No, our stop is the next town over."

And, they were back to their spots as the train moved back into motion. Lucy glanced out the window once more, the rain clouds following the train quickly.

It worried Lucy. If they had to pass through the mountains in the rain, it would be one hell of a mission. She could see flashes of lightening as the clouds rumbled closer and closer. "I hope everything ends up ok…" Lucy muttered, turning her gaze down to Natsu, who was still out cold.

Again, the train stopped, and Natsu practically dragged Lucy out onto the station platform. He took in a deep breath before letting flames spew from his mouth in satisfaction.

"Natsu! You're scaring the people!" Lucy said sharply, dragging Natsu out of the station. Happy flopped onto Natsu's head. "Let's get some directions. The sheet said out in the country side…" As Lucy walked off to find directions, Natsu took his spot on a bench, and Happy hopped down to sit next to him. The blue cat looked up at the sky. The clouds had already passed overhead, and the rain began pouring down in thick waves of droplets.

"It's raining." He stated. Of course the cat wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. Natsu sniffed the air, taken back a little from the scent.

"This doesn't smell much like rain." He muttered.

"Maybe rain smells different from place to place?"

Natsu looked down at the cat and smiled. "Ok, so our destination isn't that far off." Lucy said as she walked up to the two. "It's only a mile away from this station. Let's get going."

A loud crack echoed throughout the small village, startling the three mages.

"Do we want to go out in this weather?" Happy noted as the rain poured down even harder.

"We accepted this mission. We need to get to the house." Lucy crossed her arms as she stared out into the rain. There was something wrong about this rain, and it sent a chill up Lucy's spine. Lucy walked over to the edge of the sidewalk where the rain dripped from the roof, and stuck out her hand. The water that gathered into her hand didn't look healthy to drink. It had a tint of darkness to it, and it felt…a little gooey. She let it drip onto the floor, where it disappeared onto the ground.

"You better wait here until it lightens up young miss." She turned to see an older woman, dressed as a fortune teller walk by. "This rain brings unfortunate disaster. I would wait until it passes, or else you'll find yourself in more trouble than you've bargained for." Lucy nodded.

"Thank you." The woman walked inside, leaving the Fairy Tail gang alone. Lucy stretched, walking back to the bench. "We should probably sit out the rain Natsu. It doesn't seem-" she turned to see Natsu and Happy were already walking through the jelly like rain. "NATSU!" she called out, rushing to the edge of the sidewalk once more. "Get back here!"

He paused and smiled. "We have a mission to do! Right?"

"He's going to get into trouble if we don't follow." Happy said as he settled on her shoulder.

"You're right. I'm getting a bad vibe from this place." Lucy reluctantly looked back at the building before taking that step out into the rain. She quickly picked up her pace towards Natsu, being wary of the environment around her.

They made it to the location the secretary at the station told Lucy about. The barn stood mighty and tall over the land, and the sound of cattle and sheep echoed from inside. There was a small house though, sitting kitty corner to the barn, and it looked so old and beat up compared to the rest of the tidy looking ranch. Natsu laughed as he grew more excited about the cattle. Before he could race off towards the meat, Lucy grabbed him by his scarf, almost being dragged along by Natsu.

"Stupid lizard! We're not here to eat their cattle! We're here for a delivery. Now stop it before we owe them!" Natsu reluctantly followed as Lucy continued to drag him towards the small house. She knocked on the door, and waited a moment, hearing footsteps inside. The front door swung open revealing a short little girl with fiery red hair tied into pig tails. She smiled wide when she saw the mark of the guild on Lucy's hand.

"Ma! They're here! Those mages are here!" She ran back inside, and soon more footsteps came closer to the door. An older woman with the same fire red hair came to the door. She looked sickly, and totally pregnant.

"Oh, you're the hired help. Here, come inside." She opened the door wider and allowed Lucy and Natsu through.

"I'm sorry for the mess. It's hard getting around to clean when you're pregnant." She patted her belly as she slowly sat down in a rocking chair.

"When are you due?" Lucy asked politely. She sat down on their worn down couch as Natsu chose to sit in a large comfortable looking chair in the corner with Happy.

The woman smiled. "I'm due any day now, which is why I hired you two for the help."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Lucy, and he's Natsu, and blue cat is Happy." The red haired girl sped in with a small plate of snacks, handing them to Lucy with a smile.

"Lucy, that's a lovely name. This is my daughter, Katie. And-" There was loud stomping coming from the ceiling, it continued for a minute before suddenly stopping. The woman sighed, "And, that would be my son Noah upstairs. He's only 10. My name is Darla. It's very lovely for you two to volunteer your time. I'm sorry I can't offer much for a reward, but ever since my husband left, it has been hard for us to support ourselves…especially with the baby on the way." Lucy nodded, watching as the small girl walked up curiously to Happy, poking him in the cheek. "Now Katie. Don't poke people. It's not nice. They're our guest."

Katie continued poking though, very focused on Happy's fur. "He's not a human Ma, he's a cat. There's a difference."

Darla sighed, "Why don't you go run upstairs and tell your brother we have company." Katie reluctantly pulled away, running upstairs. "I'm sorry for that Happy. She's such a curious little girl." Lucy chuckled.

"Most little girls are at that age." Lucy said, leaning back in her spot. "So, may I ask what the mission is about?"

Darala noded, beginning to rock in her seat. "As you can see, I run this ranch. I used to run it with my husband, but when he went on a delivery last month, and hasn't come back. I would go search for him myself, but as you see, I can't just leave my family and this place. There's a special delivery I need to make for a customer on the other side of the mountains. I really can't let this customer down, especially since his family has been a customer of ours for generations. If I wait any longer to delivery though…I'm afraid he will break off the ties to our family, and we'll be broke once more."

"So, you want us to make sure your delivery makes it there safely and on time?" Darla nodded.

Darla nodded, a relieved look on her face. "Yes…but I'm also worried about the baby. So it needs to be a speedy delivery as well…it takes a full day to go over that mountain. That's why I requested you'd be here by nightfall tonight. So you could rest and prepare for the task at hand." Lucy nodded.

"of course." The footsteps raged down the stairs and into the doorway.

"Oh, there you are Noah. I'd like you to meet-"

"I don't care who they are." He spat. Compared to his sister, he was a bit taller, and had more strawberry blonde hair He had many freckles covering his face and arms, and he wore ragged clothes, and worn down boots that seemed a little too large for his feet. "They're not going to be able to save father, so get them out of here." He turned to Lucy, with tears in his eyes. "If you're not here to save father, than go back to your stupid guild. No one needs your help."

"Noah…" Darla called out, but the boy only turned and ran outside. "I'm sorry about that. Noah has been torn ever since his father's disappearance. He keeps asking for me to hire people to find him. But, at this point, we could hardly afford to hire you for the delivery. He's been angry ever since I told him that." She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes as well. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to start crying. Here. I'll show you to your rooms." She slowly stood, wiping her tears as she walked out of the room.

"Come on Natsu. Let's go." Lucy called out for him. But she noticed he was already fast asleep in the chair. Happy followed though, gliding gently through the house to land on Lucy's head.

* * *

Later that evening. Rain pattered on the roof of the small home, and small buckets were scattered throughout the house to catch the rain that seeped through. Darla apologized constantly, saying that she'd fix the roof once the baby was born. They ate a small meal of meat and bread before the children were sent off to do the chores. Lucy looked outside the window noticing the rain didn't seem as dark as it did earlier. She dipped her hand in a bucket, and saw that it was as clear.

"Hey…Darla?"

"Yes?" she said as she put the dishes in a cabinet.

"What can you tell me about the rain here?" the woman paused, turning around with a sad expression.

"You saw the goop in the village, didn't you?" Lucy nodded.

"It looks and feels different from the rain here…this rain seems…normal…how come?"

Darla sighed. "That rain has been pouring here…come to think of it, about the same time my husband left." She pulled up a chair across from Lucy. "Yes…around that time, the rain only fell in small amounts. But we learned quickly that the goop can catch on fire quickly. So everyone started burning it. People started getting sick, and a few eventually died. It turns out that it releases poisonous gas when burned, though it seems completely harmless when it is touched in its jelly form. It also got in our supply water…but from what we can tell…it hasn't affected that…it just sits on top of the water…the village doesn't know what to think of it…"

"What do you guys do to it if you can't burn it?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm sorry. I actually have been blessed with the fact that it hasn't reached our farm so far. But, I know each time it rains, it gets closer and closer…it's only a matter of time before it does reach us…and who knows what affect it will have on the animals."

"Is this the only area that it affects?"

She nodded. "From the village to the mountains." Lucy stared at a pail in the corner with thought. "Hmm…I have a feeling this is the work of magic…but the question is why here…and now?"

* * *

Natsu could hear Lucy's voice coming from inside the building after dinner. He could hear them talking about the glop that rained down on him earlier that morning, but he already knew it wasn't natural. The way it felt on his skin, the way it smelt, the way it looked. He know it was part of someone's magic, but he knew he couldn't worry too much about it. After all, he was hired to escort delicious, mouthwatering meat to the other side of the mountain. It wasn't his job to worry about it now. Besides, his true interest was not in the jelly, but in the cattle that practically called out to him from the barn.

Happy was curious too, so he followed behind Natsu as the boy dashed into the barn. Their eyes became plates as they saw all the large cattle. Well, the largest they had seen anyway.

"How many steaks do you think can come from a cow this big Natsu?" Happy asked enthusiastically, drool expanding from his mouth and onto the ground.

"I don't know! Maybe twenty?" he said dazed as he walked around the barn.

"Hey! You two! Get the hell out of here!" called out a young boy. Natsu snapped out of his daze and turned his head towards a small boy with strawberry blond hair at the end of the barn. "This isn't your place, now go back to that stupid place you call a guild and get away from here! We don't need your help." Barked the boy.

"Hey! Our guild isn't stupid!" warned Happy. He jumped into the air, his wings appearing with grace before gliding towards the boy. The boy was astonished, yet frightened by the sight, and as a reflex, swatted at the cat as he came nearer. Happy managed to dodge, and land on the boy's shoulder, startling the boy, and making him fall to the ground. Happy with a frown on his face, tapped the boy's forehead and shook his own in disappointment. "You shouldn't talk about people's family like that." He warned before fluttering back to Natsu.

"I'm gonna protect this place while my father isn't here! You're not welcome!" the boy cried out as he stood. Natsu could clearly see the tears forming at the corner of the young boy's eyes. "I'm gonna protect this place, no matter what! Father will be back! I know it! He'll be back!" he then wiped his eyes and stomped a foot, pointing at Natsu from across the way. "He'll be back, and then you'll be sorry!" With tears still streaking his face, the boy dashed out of the barn.

Natsu stood frozen, staring down the spot where the boy once stood. Happy could easily read the dragon boy's face, he too was missing his father deeply. An undying bond of faith shared between father and son. With a heavy heart, Natsu stormed out of the barn, following the young boy to the house.

* * *

**PHEW! done with another chapter! I hope you'll continue reviewing! It'll probably be a while again before I post the next chapter! But, I still hope you'll be following! and thanks for the support! I wish I would have made this chapter a little longer, but oh well! I promise the next one will be a little longer**


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